SCL-90 Symptom Checklist
Self-assessmentMental HealthScreening
Questions
95 items (90 symptom items + 5 demographic items)
Duration
Usually 10-15 minutes
Introduction
The Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) is one of the most widely used psychological screening instruments in the world. It is designed to assess a broad range of psychological problems and symptoms of psychopathology. The SCL-90 consists of 90 symptom items and 5 demographic items, covering areas from feelings, emotions, thinking, consciousness, behavior to lifestyle, interpersonal relationships, eating and sleeping patterns.
Test Instructions
Please read each item carefully and rate how much that problem has bothered you during the past week based on your actual situation. Choose the option that best describes your experience.
Scoring Method
- 1Total Score: Sum of all item scores
- 2Positive Items: Number of items scored ≥2
- 3Positive Symptom Mean: Total positive score / Number of positive items
- 4Severity: Total score >160 or positive items >43 suggests psychological problems
Dimension Explanation
1
SomatizationPhysical discomfort including cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory symptoms
2
Obsessive-CompulsiveObsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors
3
Interpersonal SensitivityFeelings of inadequacy and inferiority in interpersonal interactions
4
DepressionLow mood, loss of interest, feelings of hopelessness
5
AnxietyTension, nervousness, fear and related emotional experiences
6
HostilityAnger, aggression, irritability and related emotions
7
Phobic AnxietyFear of specific places, people, or situations
8
Paranoid IdeationProjective thinking, suspiciousness, hostility
9
PsychoticismHallucinations, delusions, thought disorders
10
Additional ItemsSleep, eating, and sexual problems
Notes
- 💡Assessment should be conducted in a quiet, undisturbed environment
- 💡Respond honestly to reflect your true feelings without overthinking
- 💡If scores are high, consider consulting a mental health professional