Psychological Distress Self-Check — Free 10-Question Mind Burden Test

A free self-check of how heavy and tightly wound your mind has been over the past month, measured as a single load rather than split into anxiety and depression. Ten questions, about three minutes, with a 0-30 score and four bands to gauge how much you are carrying right now.

What's included

Questions: 10 items
Price: Free
Areas measured: 마음에 얹힌 부담

When this check is useful

There are times when you cannot tell whether it is depression or anxiety, just that your mind feels heavy. A pressed-down feeling continues without any particular event, small things set you off, worries will not stop once they start, your chest feels tight, and you cannot find the energy to begin what needs doing. Feeling especially bad before sleep or in the early hours, and choosing to be alone because being with people feels like too much, are common signals too.

Rather than pinpointing a specific problem, this check is built to quickly gauge the total load your mind is carrying right now. Because it asks about the past month, it is less swayed by day-to-day swings, and with ten items it takes under three minutes. The items were written by Soundary with reference to published literature; they cover the same topic as standard distress scales such as the K10 but are different items, not a translation or adaptation of any instrument.

What to do with your result

A score of 0-6 means the past month passed fairly lightly, so keep your current rhythm. A score of 7-14 is an early sign that the load is building: set a regular bedtime, carve out even ten minutes a day of doing nothing, then recheck in two to four weeks and compare.

A score of 15-22 indicates a marked load. When the mind is pressed this hard, sleep, concentration and seeing people tend to suffer together; this is not weakness but a common change when there is more to carry than usual. Consider talking to a psychiatrist or counsellor rather than enduring alone. A score of 23-30 suggests you are bearing a heavy weight almost every day: seek care or professional counselling as soon as you can and let someone close know. If you have thoughts of dying, get help immediately regardless of the score.

If the load came out marked, the next step is to see where it comes from. The PHQ-9 depression screen and the GAD-7 anxiety screen help separate the strands, and if work is the source, a job-stress or burnout check helps decide where to start.

How scores are interpreted

마음에 얹힌 부담

불안과 우울을 나누지 않고, 최근 한 달 마음이 감당하고 있던 부담의 총량을 하나로 모아 본 결과예요 (0~30점). 점수가 낮을수록 마음이 비교적 가볍게 지나갔다는 뜻입니다.

0–6pts · 가벼운 편
최근 한 달, 마음이 대체로 가볍게 지나간 편이에요. 힘든 순간이 있어도 오래 붙들리지 않고 지나가는 흐름입니다. 잘 자고 잘 먹고 사람들과 이어져 있는 지금의 리듬을 그대로 이어가 보세요.
7–14pts · 조금 얹혀 있음
마음이 눌리거나 예민해지는 날이 눈에 띄게 있었어요. 큰 문제라기보다 부담이 조금씩 쌓이고 있다는 이른 신호에 가깝습니다. 잠드는 시각을 일정하게 맞추고, 하루 10분이라도 아무것도 하지 않는 시간을 만들어 보세요. 2~4주 뒤 다시 점검해 흐름을 비교해 보면 도움이 됩니다.
15–22pts · 부담이 뚜렷함
최근 한 달의 상당한 날들을 무겁게 보내셨네요. 이 정도로 마음이 눌려 있으면 잠, 집중, 사람 만나는 일까지 함께 힘들어지기 쉽습니다. 이건 마음이 약해서가 아니라 감당할 양이 많아졌을 때 흔히 나타나는 변화예요. 혼자 버티기보다 정신건강의학과나 상담 전문가와 한 번 이야기해 보시길 부드럽게 권해 드립니다.
23–30pts · 많이 무거움
거의 매일을 무겁게 견디고 계신 것 같아요. 이런 상태는 시간이 지나기만 기다리기보다 도움을 받을 때 훨씬 빨리 가벼워집니다. 가능한 한 이른 시일에 정신건강의학과 진료나 전문 상담을 받아 보시고, 가까운 사람에게 지금 상태를 알려 두세요. 혹시 죽고 싶다는 생각이나 스스로를 해치고 싶은 마음이 든다면 혼자 두지 마시고 자살예방 상담전화 109 또는 가까운 응급실로 바로 연락해 주세요.

Sample questions

1. 특별한 사건이 없는데도 마음이 계속 무겁게 눌려 있었어요.
2. 사소한 일에도 신경이 곤두서서 쉽게 예민해졌어요.
3. 한번 걱정이 시작되면 스스로 멈추기가 어려웠어요.
4. 가슴이 답답하거나 속이 조이는 느낌이 하루 중에 찾아왔어요.

최근 한 달을 떠올리며, 각 문장이 나에게 얼마나 자주 해당했는지 골라 주세요. 괜찮았던 날과 힘들었던 날을 함께 놓고 평균에 가까운 쪽으로 답하면 충분합니다. 정답도 오답도 없어요.

FAQ

How do I read my Mind Burden score?

Each of the ten items scores 0-3, for a total of 0-30. Read 0-6 as light, 7-14 as somewhat weighed down, 15-22 as a marked load and 23-30 as very heavy. These bands are Soundary's own self-check thresholds and do not identify a specific condition or constitute a diagnosis.

At what score should I see a professional?

From 15 points, talking to a psychiatrist or counsellor is recommended; from 23 points, seek care as soon as you can. Even with a lower score, if sleep, concentration or relationships are clearly affected, or you have thoughts of dying, get help right away regardless of the number.

Is this the K10 psychological distress scale?

No. This is Soundary's own ten-item self-check (SMB-10). It shares the topic of non-specific distress over the past month with standard scales such as the K10, but the items and score bands differ, so your score here cannot be compared with K10 cut-offs. If you need a standardized assessment, see a professional.

How is this different from a depression or anxiety test?

Depression and anxiety tests look separately at the type and severity of each symptom cluster, whereas this check does not split them and measures the total load on your mind as one figure. It suits a first check when you are not yet sure what the problem is; if the load is marked, follow up with the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 to separate the strands.

Source

The items in this test are a self-check adaptation based on the original instrument and literature below: Items written by Soundary with reference to published literature on non-specific psychological distress; not a translation or adaptation of any standardized instrument. A representative standard tool on the same topic is Kessler, R. C., Andrews, G., Colpe, L. J., Hiripi, E., Mroczek, D. K., Normand, S.-L. T., Walters, E. E., & Zaslavsky, A. M. (2002). Short screening scales to monitor population prevalences and trends in non-specific psychological distress. Psychological Medicine, 32(6), 959–976 (the K10), but the items and score bands of this check differ from it.

The items in this test were written by Soundary with reference to published diagnostic criteria and academic literature. They are not a translation or adaptation of any standardized instrument, and the score bands are Soundary's own self-check thresholds.

This is a self-screening tool, not a medical diagnosis. If the result concerns you, please consult a mental health professional.