Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10)

The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) creates a semblance of objectivity through the scoring ranges and their respective designations. This is to help frame things for both the therapist and their client to help determine what they can include in the treatment plan.

The best time to issue this to your client is when you need to gauge their mental state and the current level of their nonspecific psychological distress. In the event that your treatment plan spans a long time, it’s good to issue this every four weeks to see if there are any improvements in their distress levels. It’s also a good way to see if your treatment plan is working.

Yes. Practitioners can issue this to adults and children. It’s also easy to use since all the client has to do is rate themselves based on the guide questions. If you're assessing the child, make sure they understand what they're reading, and help them understand if they don't.