What does the K-10 measure?

What does the K-10 measure?

• A. Psychological distress
• B. Depression only
• C. Somatic symptoms
• D. Anxiety only

Answer: (A)

The K-10 measures psychological distress. It’s a brief self-report tool that asks how often you’ve felt a range of negative emotional states (such as nervousness, hopelessness, restlessness, and worthlessness) over the past month. Because it covers several emotional experiences, the total score reflects overall distress rather than a single condition. It’s used as a screening aid to identify people who may have a mental disorder and need further evaluation, not to diagnose depression alone, anxiety alone, or somatic symptoms specifically.

The K-10 measures psychological distress. It’s a brief self-report tool that asks how often you’ve felt a range of negative emotional states (such as nervousness, hopelessness, restlessness, and worthlessness) over the past month. Because it covers several emotional experiences, the total score reflects overall distress rather than a single condition. It’s used as a screening aid to identify people who may have a mental disorder and need further evaluation, not to diagnose depression alone, anxiety alone, or somatic symptoms specifically.