What are the DASS21 and the WHO5?
As part of your care plan, our clinicians will invite you to complete two psychological measures at your first, third and sixth sessions with us: the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS21) and the World Health Organisation Well-Being Index (WHO5). These are two questionnaires that ask you to reflect on a series of statements and provide your answer.
The DASS21 assessment is a reliable and valid measure of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms (d-a-s-s) experienced over the past week, and provides an important insight into the severity of reported symptoms. It consists of 21 questions.
The WHO5 assessment measures subjective wellbeing (positive mood, vitality, and general interests) over the past two weeks and is a reliable measure of life quality. It consists of 5 questions.
Both assessments take a combined 3-4 minutes to complete.
The DASS21 and WHO5 are screening tools that your clinician will use to guide your treatment plan and track therapeutic progress; they are not diagnostic tools.
How can I complete my assessments?
Before your session your clinician may send you emails with links to your assessments, or may choose to complete the assessments with you. If you get an email, simply click the links on your computer, tablet, or phone, and answer the questions using the selections available. When you're finished, submit the assessment form with a click or tap. The results are stored in a secure, private system that delivers the results to your clinician.
If you would prefer to complete your assessments with clinician, we welcome you to do so at the start of your session. This may be particularly helpful if you would like to ask any questions or do not wish to complete the assessment by yourself.
What will happen to my results?
Your clinician will review the results of your assessment and use them as a component of your care. You are welcome to discuss the results in your session and learn more about why these questions help us better help you.
What general outcomes do we see?
Our outcome data, analysed quarterly since 2018 across all clients using our services, has consistently demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms (DASS21), as well as a statistically significant improvement in our clients’ wellbeing across sessions (WHO5). These results highlight the positive benefits of short-term counselling using the evidence-based treatment provided by our psychologists.
The following charts detail the results we’ve seen across all clients in the past three months.
