Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale
A 20-item scale that assesses anxiety symptoms. It is the same instrument as the ZSAS record (Zung).
In one minute
How it works in 3 steps
- You respond: You mark the items while thinking about your symptoms over the past week.
- A total is produced: Your answers turn into a total score.
- It is interpreted: The score is read together with the type and context of your anxiety.
Who it informs
When professional support helps
What does the SAS measure?
The scale looks at two sides of anxiety together: thoughts such as 'something bad is going to happen' and bodily reactions like a racing heart, sweating, dizziness and tension. This dual view makes visible how anxiety tends to show up most in you.
The result summarises the overall level of anxiety for that week. When different measurements are compared, it also helps you follow whether symptoms are rising or easing.
How is it scored?
Items are scored according to how often the symptom occurs and are summed. The total falls into ranges defined as normal, mild, moderate and severe.
- Items
- 20
- Score range
- 0–80
- 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 |
|---|---|
| 20–44 | Normal |
| 45–59 | Mild anxiety |
| 60–74 | Moderate anxiety |
| 75–80 | Severe anxiety |
Limitation: It is a screening tool; it does not identify the type of anxiety disorder and a scale never makes a diagnosis on its own. Because of the physical items, a bodily condition may affect the result.
Psychometrics and source
Developed by Zung (1971), it is a screening tool that has been used in the international literature for a long time.
Original source: Zung, W.W.K. (1971).
How is this scale used at Mete Psikoloji?
At Mete Psikoloji, anxiety scales are used to support the assessment consultation and to track change during the support process. Your scores are kept and followed in your personal portal; clients seen online complete their scales there, and clients seen in person are tracked in the same portal. Your clinical psychologist interprets the result together with you.
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.