Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale
A 20-item scale that gauges the severity of depressive symptoms. It combines positively and negatively worded items.
In one minute
How it works in 3 steps
- You respond: You mark the items while thinking about how you have felt over the past week.
- A total is produced: Your answers turn into a total score that falls into a level range.
- It is interpreted: The score is read not on its own but together with the context of your life.
Who it informs
When professional support helps
What does the ZSDS measure?
This scale looks at several facets of depression together: sadness, loss of interest, changes in sleep and appetite, low energy and pessimism about the future. In this way it makes visible whether your symptoms affect only your mood or also your body and your day-to-day functioning.
The result gives a level that summarises the overall picture for that week. When one week is compared with another, it also offers a sense of the direction a person is heading in.
How is it scored?
Each item is scored according to how often the symptom occurs and the scores are summed; some items are written so that they are reverse-scored. The total falls into ranges classified as normal, mild-to-moderate, moderate-to-severe 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 |
|---|---|
| 20–49 | Normal range |
| 50–59 | Mild-to-moderate depression |
| 60–69 | Moderate-to-severe depression |
| 70–80 | Severe depression |
Limitation: It is a screening tool; a scale never makes a diagnosis of depression on its own. If there is a physical illness, some items may inflate the result, so high scores should be clarified in a conversation with a specialist.
Psychometrics and source
Developed by Zung (1965), it is widely used in the international literature and has a validated Turkish form as a screening tool.
Original source: Zung, W.W.K. (1965). A self-rating depression scale.
How is this scale used at Mete Psikoloji?
At Mete Psikoloji, scales like this one are used to support the first assessment consultation and to track change over the course of your support. Your scores are always recorded and followed in your personal portal; your clinical psychologist interprets them together with you, taking your history into account. Clients seen online complete and view their scales 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.