If you’re looking for a quick, objective snapshot of your mental health… this short quiz is for you. It evaluates key elements of your well-being (such as relationships, peace of mind, optimism, and ability to overcome challenges). And it can indicate what level of care may be most helpful for your current situation.
Click here to jump straight to the quiz. Or, keep reading to learn about the assessment and how to use your results.
- What Does This Well-Being Quiz Measure?
- 3 Ways to Use Your Results
- Take Our Online Mental Health Quiz Now
What Does This Well-Being Quiz Measure?
This quiz is adapted from the Schwartz Outcome Scale. Psychiatrists at Massachusetts General Hospital developed the SOS scale to help mental health professionals measure (and track) how their clients are doing. The scale works by having you rate your experience of major life areas, including:
- Quality of relationships
- Life satisfaction
- Peace of mind
- Optimism for the future
- Ability to handle conflict
- Self forgiveness
- And more…
These ratings are then combined into a total score between 0 and 60. (Higher scores indicate better metal health.)
This assessment is fast and easy to take. You don’t have to answer a whole bunch of long essay questions about your life. And you don’t have to have a PhD in clinical psychology to interpret your results either. Doing a self-assessment won’t not replace speaking with a therapist or psychiatrist. But it can still provide a quick, objective view of how you’re doing. And, it can highlight potential next steps to consider.
Note: If you want to look specifically at symptoms of depression or anxiety, other evaluations may be more helpful. Use the following links to take our free anxiety and depression quizzes.
3 Ways to Use Your Results
1) Find Out What Level of Treatment You May Need
In 2008, a group of psychiatrists ran an in-depth study looking at how to best interpret the SOS assessment scores. And they reviewed data from over 9000 people (which included a broad mix of inpatient clients, outpatient clients, and people who weren’t in treatment).
The researchers discovered people could be grouped into 4 main categories of mental health based on their SOS scores. (Your individual results may vary, of course. But these score ranges can at least indicate the level of treatment you should consider.)
What Does Your Score Mean?
| Score | Interpretation of Results |
|---|---|
| 0 – 21 | Results indicate significant distress. Call 988 or seek out an intensive treatment option (such as IOP therapy) immediately. |
| 22 – 32 | Results indicate significant mental health challenges. You will likely benefit from professional mental health care or IOP treatment. |
| 32 – 41 | Results show some major mental health challenges. You may want to reach out to a therapist or psychiatrist. If the problem has been impacting you for a long time, consider a more intensive treatment option. |
| 42 – 60 | Results suggest relatively minor mental health issues. However, you may benefit from a coach or therapist to further your personal growth in certain areas. |
2) Highlight Areas of Challenge or Growth
The SOS mental health scale was designed to give an overall view on your mental health rather than an in-depth breakdown. That said, you can still learn something from how you answer specific questions.
If there’s one question you give a lower rating than the rest… that can indicate an area to focus on. Maybe you rate “peace of mind” lower than other areas. In that case, you may want to examine what triggers are causing stress in your life… consider seeking help for dealing with anxiety… or learn exercises to help calm your mind.
3) Track Your Mental Health Over Time
A major use of this quiz is evaluating progress over time. You can take the quiz once. And then you can take it again in a couple months to see how much your score has changed. For example, you can track how major life changes (such as a new job or relationship) impact your mental health. The score can also be a periodic check to help identify when it’s time to seek outside support. Or, you can use it to judge how certain treatments are working.
That’s how we use the SOS scale at Plural Healthcare. All clients take the assessment once when they first join our program, again roughly halfway through their treatment, and one more time at discharge. That means we can objectively evaluate their progress. And we can measure how our care is helping them improve.
Take Our Online Mental Health Quiz Now
Ready to get started? Answer the 10 multiple-choice questions below. When you’re finished, the form will output your mental health score (a value between 0-60). Higher scores indicate a better overall mental health. Lower scores signal a potential need for treatment.
Remember… this tool is not a substitute for a clinical evaluation and cannot give an official diagnosis. We offer this as a free resource to give insight into your situation. If you are struggling with your mental health, speak to a mental health professional.
Please respond to each statement by selecting the number that best fits how you have generally felt over the last 7 days. There are no right or wrong responses. Often the first answer that comes to mind is best.
Note: Your information is confidential. We do not collect or store your answers. And we do not require you to submit any identifying information to see your results.
Adapted From: Blais, Mark & Kehl-Fie, K. & Blias, M.A.. (2008). The Schwartz Outcomes Scale-10: A brief measure of psychological well-being. Patient Reported Outcomes Newsletter. 39. 19-21.