Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10)
A clinician's guide to Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the most widely used measure of perceived stress: what it measures, how it is administered and scored, and how to read the bands. The PSS is copyrighted, so the items are not reproduced here.
What it measures
The PSS-10 measures the degree to which a person appraises their life as unpredictable, uncontrollable and overloaded, over the past month. It is not tied to specific events, which makes it useful across contexts.
This is a clinician reference guide. The PSS is copyrighted by Sheldon Cohen and distributed under licence, so we describe the instrument rather than reproduce it. For a client-facing measure you can use directly, see the stress self-check.
Getting the PSS-10
The PSS is copyrighted and licensed through Mapi Research Trust. Requesting permission is free for many academic uses; commercial users need a licence agreement and pay a fee. Because ElloMind is a commercial organisation, we do not reproduce the items.
Request the PSS on ePROVIDE (Mapi Research Trust)
Rights held by Sheldon Cohen (© 1994), distributed by Mapi Research Trust. The guidance below describes how the PSS-10 is administered and interpreted so you can use your licensed copy well.
Scoring and interpretation
The client rates each of the 10 items on a 0 to 4 frequency scale for the past month. Four positively worded items are reverse-scored before summing, giving a total from 0 to 40. The scoring key and reverse-scored item numbers are supplied with the licensed copy.
Common bands: 0 to 13 low stress, 14 to 26 moderate, and 27 to 40 high perceived stress. These are guides, not diagnostic thresholds.
| Score | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| 0–13 | Low perceived stress |
| 14–26 | Moderate perceived stress |
| 27–40 | High perceived stress |
Four positively worded items are reverse-scored before summing. Bands are a guide, not a diagnostic threshold.
Use the score in your notes
Take the score into a de-identified write-up with one of the free AI tools.
Citation and sources
Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385-396.
The Perceived Stress Scale is copyright © 1994 Sheldon Cohen, all rights reserved, and is distributed by Mapi Research Trust. It is not in the public domain. Permission is free for many academic uses, but commercial use requires a licence agreement and a fee. ElloMind has no such licence, so the items are not reproduced here.
- Perceived Stress Scale (overview) — Wikipedia
Want a version a client can fill in themselves? Point them to the stress self-check for clients.
Frequently asked questions
Each item is rated 0 to 4. Items 4, 5, 7 and 8 are reverse-scored, then all ten are summed for a total from 0 to 40. Higher scores indicate more perceived stress.
As a guide, 0 to 13 is low, 14 to 26 moderate and 27 to 40 high perceived stress. There is no diagnostic cut-off; use the score alongside history.
How unpredictable, uncontrollable and overloaded a person has found their life over the past month, rather than stress from any specific event.
Yes. This is the clinician scoring reference. The client-facing version at /tools/stress is written for the public.
A screening and rating aid for qualified professionals, not a diagnosis or a substitute for clinical judgement. Interpret every score within a full assessment. Never paste identifiable client data into a general AI assistant. If a client is in crisis, contact a crisis helpline right away.