Skip to main content

We've moved to 864 Eastern Parkway.Get directions →

Free Online Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-II)

The Dissociative Experiences Scale II (DES-II) is a 28-item self-report screening instrument that measures the frequency of dissociative experiences in daily life. It assesses a range of dissociative phenomena including absorption, imaginative involvement, depersonalization, derealization, and amnesia.

Clinician or parent? Hand your device over with the score hidden, or send the test to their phone.

28 questions · about 8–12 minutes

For each one, pick the answer that fits you best. There are no right or wrong answers.

Your answers stay on this device. Nothing is saved or sent unless you choose to email the results. This screening measures the frequency of dissociative experiences and is for educational purposes only. It does NOT diagnose DID or any dissociative disorder. High scores may reflect various conditions including PTSD, anxiety, or normal variations. Only a licensed professional can provide a diagnosis.

  1. Question 1 of 28: Some people have the experience of driving or riding in a car or bus or subway and suddenly realizing that they don't remember what has happened during all or part of the trip.
  2. Question 2 of 28: Some people find that sometimes they are listening to someone talk and they suddenly realize that they did not hear part or all of what was said.
  3. Question 3 of 28: Some people have the experience of finding themselves in a place and having no idea how they got there.
  4. Question 4 of 28: Some people have the experience of finding themselves dressed in clothes that they don't remember putting on.
  5. Question 5 of 28: Some people have the experience of finding new things among their belongings that they do not remember buying.
  6. Question 6 of 28: Some people sometimes find that they are approached by people that they do not know who call them by another name or insist that they have met them before.
  7. Question 7 of 28: Some people sometimes have the experience of feeling as though they are standing next to themselves or watching themselves do something, as if looking at another person.
  8. Question 8 of 28: Some people are told that they sometimes do not recognize friends or family members.
  9. Question 9 of 28: Some people find that they have no memory of some important events in their lives (for example, a wedding or graduation).
  10. Question 10 of 28: Some people have the experience of being accused of lying when they do not think that they have lied.
  11. Question 11 of 28: Some people have the experience of looking in a mirror and not recognizing themselves.
  12. Question 12 of 28: Some people have the experience of feeling that other people, objects, and the world around them are not real.
  13. Question 13 of 28: Some people have the experience of feeling that their body does not seem to belong to them.
  14. Question 14 of 28: Some people have the experience of sometimes remembering a past event so vividly that they feel as if they were reliving that event.
  15. Question 15 of 28: Some people have the experience of not being sure whether things that they remember happening really did happen or whether they just dreamed them.
  16. Question 16 of 28: Some people have the experience of being in a familiar place but finding it strange and unfamiliar.
  17. Question 17 of 28: Some people find that when they are watching television or a movie they become so absorbed in the story that they are unaware of other events happening around them.
  18. Question 18 of 28: Some people find that they become so involved in a fantasy or daydream that it feels as though it were really happening to them.
  19. Question 19 of 28: Some people find that they sometimes are able to ignore pain.
  20. Question 20 of 28: Some people find that they sometimes sit staring off into space, thinking of nothing, and are not aware of the passage of time.
  21. Question 21 of 28: Some people sometimes find that when they are alone they talk out loud to themselves.
  22. Question 22 of 28: Some people find that in one situation they may act so differently compared with another situation that they feel almost as if they were two different people.
  23. Question 23 of 28: Some people sometimes find that in certain situations they are able to do things with amazing ease and spontaneity that would usually be difficult for them.
  24. Question 24 of 28: Some people sometimes find that they cannot remember whether they have done something or have just thought about doing that thing.
  25. Question 25 of 28: Some people find evidence that they have done things that they do not remember doing.
  26. Question 26 of 28: Some people sometimes find writings, drawings, or notes among their belongings that they must have done but cannot remember doing.
  27. Question 27 of 28: Some people sometimes find that they hear voices inside their head that tell them to do things or comment on things that they are doing.
  28. Question 28 of 28: Some people sometimes feel as if they are looking at the world through a fog so that people and objects appear far away or unclear.

0 of 28 answered

Questions
28
Time
8–12 min
Looks back over
No set period
Score range
0–100%
Cost
Free

What the DID Screening measures

  • Amnestic dissociation: Gaps in memory for personal experiences
  • Absorption and imaginative involvement: Deep immersion in fantasy or activities
  • Depersonalization: Feeling detached from one's body or self
  • Derealization: Feeling that surroundings are unreal or dreamlike
  • Identity confusion and alteration

About the DID Screening

The DES was originally developed by Eve Bernstein Carlson and Frank Putnam in 1986. The DES-II (1993) revised the response format from a visual analogue scale to a percentage-based format for easier scoring and improved reliability.

The DES-II is the most widely used screening instrument for dissociative disorders and has been translated into over 20 languages. It measures dissociative experiences that occur in everyday life — some of which are normal (like daydreaming or highway hypnosis) and others that may indicate pathological dissociation.

It is important to note that dissociative experiences exist on a spectrum. Many people experience mild dissociation (like getting lost in a book), and this is entirely normal. The DES-II helps identify when dissociative experiences may be more frequent or intense than typical, potentially warranting further clinical evaluation.

This screening does NOT diagnose Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) or any other dissociative disorder. A comprehensive clinical assessment is required for diagnosis.

How the DID Screening is scored

  1. Each question asks what percentage of the time it happens to you, from 0% (never) to 100% (always).
  2. The 28 percentages are averaged, giving a score from 0 to 100. The average, rather than the total, is what the published cut-offs refer to.

DID Screening score ranges

The ranges this quiz uses to label a score. They describe where a score falls, not a diagnosis.

ResultScore
Normal Range0–10%
Mild Dissociation11–20%
Moderate Dissociation21–30%
High Dissociation31–100%

How to read the results

  • It is a snapshot, not a diagnosis. A label only says where a score falls compared with the people the questionnaire was tested on. A word like "mild" does not mean a mild disorder.
  • Look at the answers, not only the total. Which questions scored highest often says more about what to work on than the number does.
  • Compare with yourself over time. Taking it again in a few weeks, or after starting therapy, shows whether things are moving. Compare each score with your own earlier one, not with someone else's.
  • Talk it through. A clinician will ask what no questionnaire can: how long it has been like this, what else is going on, and how much it gets in the way.

The DID Screening compared with similar tests

TestScreens forQuestionsLooks back over
PCL-5PTSD symptoms, by DSM-5 cluster20The past month
Trauma ImpactDistress after a specific event22The past seven days
DID Screening (this page)Dissociation28No set period

Using the DID Screening with clients

  • Baseline, then repeat. Give it at intake, then at regular intervals, and compare each score with the client's own earlier ones to see whether treatment is working.
  • Hand to client. Give it on your own device in session. The questions fill the screen with nothing else on it, and the scores stay hidden until you take the device back and press Show results.
  • Send to someone. Send a link before the session by text or email. Tick "Ask for a copy of their results" and their results page offers to email you their score. They decide whether to send it. Your address travels in the link itself and never reaches our servers.
  • Copy summary and Print. The results screen copies a one-line summary for the session note, or prints the results on their own.
  • Nothing is stored. Answers stay in the browser. Results leave it only when someone chooses to email them, and that email is not kept.
  • Billing. Giving and scoring a standardized instrument like the DID Screening is commonly billed as CPT 96127, one unit per instrument. Payers set their own limits, so check before relying on it.

Diagnosis codes often documented for this concern

For reference only. A screening score is not a diagnosis, and none of these follows from a score on its own.

  • F44.81 Dissociative Identity Disorder
  • F44.0 Dissociative Amnesia

Where to go from here

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DES-II?+

The Dissociative Experiences Scale II (DES-II) is a 28-item self-report screening tool that measures the frequency of dissociative experiences. It was developed by Carlson and Putnam and is the most widely used dissociation screening instrument worldwide.

Does a high score mean I have DID?+

No. A high DES-II score indicates frequent dissociative experiences, but these can occur in many conditions including PTSD, borderline personality disorder, anxiety disorders, and even in response to extreme stress or sleep deprivation. Only a comprehensive clinical evaluation can determine if a dissociative disorder is present.

How is the DES-II scored?+

Your percentage responses (0-100%) for all 28 items are averaged to produce a mean score. Scores of 0-10 are normal, 11-20 mildly elevated, 21-30 moderately elevated, and above 30 are considered high and warrant clinical attention.

Are some dissociative experiences normal?+

Yes. Many dissociative experiences are normal and common, such as daydreaming, highway hypnosis, getting absorbed in a book or movie, or momentarily forgetting where you parked. The DES-II captures a range from normal to pathological dissociation.

Are my responses stored?+

No. All responses remain completely private and local to your browser. No data is collected, stored, or transmitted to any server.

References

  1. Carlson EB, Putnam FW. An update on the Dissociative Experiences Scale. Dissociation. 1993;6(1):16-27.
  2. Bernstein EM, Putnam FW. Development, reliability, and validity of a dissociation scale. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1986;174(12):727-735.
  3. Van IJzendoorn MH, Schuengel C. The measurement of dissociation in normal and clinical populations. Clin Psychol Rev. 1996;16(5):365-382.
  4. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5). 2013.

Related Assessments

PCL-5

Free Online PCL-5 PTSD Checklist

Take test →

Trauma Impact

Free Online Impact of Event Scale – Revised (IES-R)

Take test →

PHQ-9

Free Online PHQ-9 Depression Questionnaire

Take test →