Perceived Stress Assessment PSS-10free self-assessment

PSS-1010 itemsAbout 2 minutes

This questionnaire is for self-understanding and reference only and cannot be used to make a clinical diagnosis.

About this assessment

The Perceived Stress Scale, or PSS, was developed by Sheldon Cohen and colleagues in 1983 and is one of the most widely used measures of perceived stress. What makes it useful is that it does not ask how many stressful things have happened. It asks how manageable life has felt to you. Two people may have similar work and family responsibilities: one feels busy but still in control, while the other feels pushed along by events every day. The PSS is interested in that difference. It is not there to decide whether your life is 'really difficult enough'. It helps you notice how you are currently experiencing and carrying stress.

What does it look at?

The questionnaire looks back over the past month and broadly covers two directions: whether life has felt uncontrollable, overloaded, or unpredictable, and how confident you feel that you can still deal with what is in front of you. The total score ranges from 0 to 40. A higher score means a higher level of perceived stress.

This assessment may suit you if...

  • You feel as though you are constantly catching up and your to-do list never really clears.
  • You want to know whether you have simply been busier than usual or are starting to feel overloaded.
  • You are going through work, moving home, family, or other life changes and want to see how you are coping.

Learn more

How long does it take?
About two minutes.
What score counts as high?
The author did not set diagnostic cut-offs because the PSS is not a diagnostic tool. A commonly used descriptive grouping is 0 to 13 for lower perceived stress, 14 to 26 for moderate perceived stress, and 27 to 40 for higher perceived stress. Rather than focusing only on which range you fall into, it can be more useful to notice whether your score is rising over time and what life changes are happening alongside it.
References

  • Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385–396.https://doi.org/10.2307/2136404

  • Cohen, S., & Janicki-Deverts, D. (2012). Who's stressed? Distributions of psychological stress in the United States in probability samples from 1983, 2006, and 2009. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 42(6), 1320–1334.

  • Hong Kong study

    Leung, D. Y. P., Lam, T. H., & Chan, S. S. C. (2010). Three versions of Perceived Stress Scale: Validation in a sample of Chinese cardiac patients who smoke. BMC Public Health, 10, 513.https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-10-513

  • Hong Kong study

    Ng, S. M. (2013). Validation of the 10-item Chinese perceived stress scale in elderly service workers: One-factor versus two-factor structure. BMC Psychology, 1, 9.https://doi.org/10.1186/2050-7283-1-9

  • Hong Kong study

    Chen, J. Y., Chin, W. Y., Tiwari, A., Wong, J., Wong, I. C. K., Worsley, A., Feng, Y., Sham, M. H., Tsang, J. P. Y., & Lau, C. S. (2021). Validation of the perceived stress scale (PSS-10) in medical and health sciences students in Hong Kong. The Asia Pacific Scholar, 6(2), 31–37.https://doi.org/10.29060/TAPS.2021-6-2/OA2328

  • Hong Kong study

    AXA Hong Kong (2024). AXA Study of Mind Health and Wellbeing 2024: Hong Kong findings. AXA Mind Health Study, 2024 edition.

  • Hong Kong study

    UBS (2015). Prices and earnings 2015: Do I earn enough for the life I want?. UBS Prices and Earnings report, 2015 edition.

  • Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310–357.

  • Karasek, R. A. (1979). Job demands, job decision latitude, and mental strain: Implications for job redesign. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24(2), 285–308.

  • Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215.

  • Jamieson, J. P., Nock, M. K., & Mendes, W. B. (2012). Mind over matter: Reappraising arousal improves cardiovascular and cognitive responses to stress. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 141(3), 417–422.

  • Crum, A. J., Salovey, P., & Achor, S. (2013). Rethinking stress: The role of mindsets in determining the stress response. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(4), 716–733.

  • Bell, A. C., & D'Zurilla, T. J. (2009). Problem-solving therapy for depression: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 29(4), 348–353.

  • Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377–389.

  • Webb, T. L., Miles, E., & Sheeran, P. (2012). Dealing with feeling: A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of strategies derived from the process model of emotion regulation. Psychological Bulletin, 138(4), 775–808.

  • Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119.

A quick tip

There are no right or wrong answers. Choose the response that best reflects how you genuinely feel.

Content reviewed by the Solacare social work team

Last reviewed: 2026-09-13