distress-screening

name	distress-screening
description	Use when screening for nonspecific psychological distress or tracking symptom burden over time. Provides K6 and K10 scales with scoring and interpretation guidance.

Distress Screening (K6 / K10)

Description

This skill provides the K6 and K10 psychological distress scales. Use K6 for brief screening and K10 for more detailed monitoring.

Permission: Use of K6 and K10 is free and does not require formal permission; include the required copyright and citation.

Quick Reference

Assessment	Items	Time	Purpose	Score Range
K6	6	1-2 min	Brief distress screening	0-24 (0-4 coding)
K10	10	2-3 min	Distress monitoring	0-40 (0-4 coding)

Assessment Tools

• K6: assets/k6.md
• K10: assets/k10.md

Interactive Administration (Optional)

Use this mode when the clinician says "start" or "administer" the K6/K10.

1. Confirm readiness and explain the past 30 days time frame plus the 5-point response scale.
2. Ask one item at a time (verbatim from the asset file) and wait for a response before continuing.
3. Accept numeric or verbal responses; if unclear or out of range, ask for clarification.
4. Recode responses to 0-4 scoring and keep a running total.
5. After the final item, calculate the total score, interpret severity, and provide next-step guidance.
6. Offer a brief documentation summary if requested.

Documentation

Use templates in each asset file.

References

• Permission and scoring guidance: references/permissions-and-scoring.md