Anxiety

What it measures

A multiple-item Likert-type scale designed to measure the degree that a person indicates experiencing negative physiological and emotional symptoms, most likely as a reaction to stress.

Response format

7-point scale

Scale items

• I am often aware of the action of my heart in the absence of physical exertion (e.g., heart racing, skipping a
• I often experience dryness in my mouth.
• I often experience difficulty breathing (e.g. excessively rapid breathing, breathlessness in the absence of
• I often experience trembling (e.g. in the hands).
• I worry about situations in which I might panic and make a fool of myself.
• I often feel close to panic.
• I often feel scared without any good reason.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Internal consistency (alpha = .72) was reported in the primary study.

Citation

Lovibond, P. F., & Lovibond, S. H. (1995). The structure of negative emotional states: Comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33(3), 335–343.

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