SCL-90 Symptom Checklist

Introduction

The Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) is one of the most widely used psychological screening instruments in the world. It is designed to assess a broad range of psychological problems and symptoms of psychopathology. The SCL-90 consists of 90 items covering areas from feelings, emotions, thinking, consciousness, behavior to lifestyle, interpersonal relationships, eating and sleeping patterns.

Test Instructions

Please read each item carefully and rate how much that problem has bothered you during the past week based on your actual situation. Choose the option that best describes your experience.

Scoring Method

• Total Score: Sum of all item scores
• Positive Items: Number of items scored ≥2
• Positive Symptom Mean: Total positive score / Number of positive items
• Severity: Total score >160 or positive items >43 suggests psychological problems

Dimension Explanation

1. Somatization：Physical discomfort including cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory symptoms
2. Obsessive-Compulsive：Obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors
3. Interpersonal Sensitivity：Feelings of inadequacy and inferiority in interpersonal interactions
4. Depression：Low mood, loss of interest, feelings of hopelessness
5. Anxiety：Tension, nervousness, fear and related emotional experiences
6. Hostility：Anger, aggression, irritability and related emotions
7. Phobic Anxiety：Fear of specific places, people, or situations
8. Paranoid Ideation：Projective thinking, suspiciousness, hostility
9. Psychoticism：Hallucinations, delusions, thought disorders
10. Additional Items：Sleep, eating, and sexual problems

Notes

1. Assessment should be conducted in a quiet, undisturbed environment
2. Respond honestly to reflect your true feelings without overthinking
3. If scores are high, consider consulting a mental health professional

References

• Derogatis, L. R. (1977). SCL-90: Administration, scoring and procedure manual for the revised version. Clinical Psychometric Research.