SF-36 Health Survey
Measures health-related quality of life across eight areas: physical functioning, physical role, pain, general health, energy, social functioning, emotional role and mental health.
In one minute
How it works in 3 steps
- You respond: You mark items about your physical and mental health.
- The areas separate out: The eight quality-of-life areas are read one by one.
- It is interpreted: The result is read in the context of your overall quality of life.
Who it informs
When professional support helps
What does the SF-36 measure?
The SF-36 treats health not only as a bodily matter but together with its mental, social and functional dimensions. The scores across the eight areas show which aspects of life a health condition affects most. In this way it turns 'my health is affecting my life' into a picture with distinct areas.
This broad view helps you assess the impact of both physical and emotional health on daily life together, rather than treating them as separate matters.
How is it scored?
Items are scored for each area and usually converted into an area score in the 0-100 range; a higher score points to a better quality of life.
- Items
- 36
- Score range
- 0–100
- Administration
- Self / observer report
What do the score bands mean?
The ranges below are a general frame. No band makes a diagnosis on its own; a result only becomes meaningful when a clinical psychologist interprets it alongside your life story.
| Score | General interpretation |
|---|---|
| 0–30 | Low quality of life |
| 31–60 | Moderate quality of life |
| 61–100 | High quality of life |
Limitation: It is a general quality-of-life tool; it does not diagnose a specific illness. Results should be interpreted together with the person's overall health, and a scale never makes a diagnosis on its own.
Psychometrics and source
It is the most widely used instrument for measuring health-related quality of life worldwide; the internal consistency of the subdimensions has been reported at an adequate-to-high level across many populations.
Original source: Ware, J.E. & Sherbourne, C.D. (1992). SF-36.
How is this scale used at Mete Psikoloji?
At Mete Psikoloji, quality-of-life scales can be used to follow, in a holistic way, the impact of the process on a client's daily life. Your scores are recorded and followed in your personal portal; your clinical psychologist interprets them together with you. Clients seen online complete and view the scale in the portal, and clients seen in person are followed in the same portal.
Related reading
Did your result give you pause?
A scale is only a starting point. By planning an assessment session with our clinical psychologists, you can consider your result alongside the context of your life.