What the DES-II measures
Dissociation is a psychological defense mechanism where the mind disconnects from a person's thoughts, feelings, memories, or sense of identity, usually in response to severe trauma. The DES-II is the gold standard for screening Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), PTSD-related dissociation, and Depersonalization/Derealization disorders.
The dimensions it assesses
- Amnesia: Memory gaps for events, finding evidence of having done things one cannot remember (indicative of DID).
- Depersonalization / Derealization: Feeling disconnected from one's own body (like a robot or watching oneself in a movie) or feeling the world is unreal or distorted.
- Absorption / Imaginative Involvement: Getting so caught up in a book, movie, or daydream that one loses touch with reality (a normative dissociative trait).
Already have a DES-II score from somewhere else? Look it up without retaking the questionnaire.
What your score means
(Theoretical Range: 0 to 100)
| Score | Interpretation | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 14 | Normal Population: Healthy adult range. Any dissociation is limited to normative "highway hypnosis" or reading absorption. | |
| 15 – 29 | Elevated / Anxiety / PTSD: Elevated scores typical of individuals with general anxiety, panic disorders, or PTSD without severe dissociative amnesia. | |
| 30 – 100 | Pathological Dissociation: High probability of a Dissociative Disorder. A score >30 warrants screening for DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). Average score for DID is roughly 48. |
These ranges describe groups of people, not individuals. A score near a boundary is not meaningfully different from one just across it, and no range on this table is a diagnosis.
What to do with your result
- Clinical Referral: High scores on the Amnesia or Depersonalization subscales require assessment by a trauma-informed psychiatrist or psychologist trained in complex dissociation.
- Grounding Techniques: If experiencing acute derealization, use the 5-4-3-2-1 sensory grounding method (5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste) to tether the brain back to the present moment.
Common questions about the DES-II
- What does the DES-II measure?
- Measurement of dissociative symptoms, ranging from normative dissociation (daydreaming) to pathological dissociation (amnesia, depersonalization, derealization).
- Can the DES-II diagnose me?
- No. Dissociation & Feeling Unreal (DES-II) is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnostic tool. It can flag that something may need a closer look. It cannot tell you what is causing it. Grief, burnout, a thyroid problem, medication side effects, chronic pain and months of bad sleep are not among its questions, and any of them can move a score. Telling those apart is what a professional assessment is for.
- What is considered a high score on the DES-II?
- Scores of 30 – 100 fall in the range described as "Pathological Dissociation: High probability of a Dissociative Disorder. A score >30 warrants screening for DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). Average score for DID is roughly 48.", while 0 – 14 is described as "Normal Population: Healthy adult range. Any dissociation is limited to normative "highway hypnosis" or reading absorption.". Those labels describe bands of scores rather than people, and a score sitting one point either side of a boundary is not meaningfully different from one just across it.
- How long does the DES-II take?
- 28 questions, which most people finish in 10 – 15 minutes. There is no time limit, and answering honestly matters more than answering quickly. The results page checks for patterns suggesting the questions were rushed.
- Is this DES-II test really free?
- Yes. No account, no email address, no payment. Psychometrics Today is funded by donations rather than advertising, which is also what allows us to publish instruments whose authors permit free but non-commercial use.
- Are my answers stored or shared?
- No. Your answers are scored inside your browser and never sent to us. There is no database of responses, because we never receive any. Closing the tab erases them, which is why results cannot be recovered afterwards.
- How often should I retake the DES-II?
- Most of these questionnaires ask about the past one to two weeks, so retaking sooner than that mostly measures the same period twice. Every two to four weeks is a reasonable rhythm if you are tracking change. A direction of travel over several weeks tells a doctor far more than any single score.
- Who created the DES-II, and is this the real version?
- It was published by Carlson & Putnam. Authors placed the scale in the public domain and encourage free copying. The items here are the published ones rather than a paraphrase, and the scoring follows the original rules. Both are documented on this page so they can be checked.
- How accurate is the DES-II?
- Screening questionnaires are good at flagging that something merits attention and poor at establishing what it is. This one is sensitive to how you feel on the day you take it, and many instruments were validated on narrow populations whose cut-offs may not transfer cleanly to everyone. The references at the foot of this page are the primary sources.
Sources
Rights held by Carlson & Putnam. Developed and validated by the researchers cited below.
- Carlson, E. B., & Putnam, F. W. (1993). An update on the Dissociative Experiences Scale. Dissociation, 6(1), 16-27.
- Waller, N. G., Putnam, F. W., & Carlson, E. B. (1996). Types of dissociation and dissociative types: A taxometric analysis of dissociative experiences. Psychological Methods, 1(3), 300-321.
Licensing
Public domain. Authors placed the scale in the public domain and encourage free copying.