Cambridge Depersonalization Scale
This is an online conversion of the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale, a psychological assessment that measures experiences of depersonalization. Many people have experiences of depersonalization and derealization throughout their lives.
Depersonalization has been defined as 'an alteration in the perception or experience of the self so that one feels detached from, and as if one is an outside observer of, one’s mental processes or body (e.g. feeling as if one is in a dream)'. Derealization has been defined as 'an alteration in the perception or experience of the external world so that it seems strange or unreal (e.g. people may seem unfamiliar or mechanical)'. It seems likely that depersonalization and derealization are two aspects of the same type of process, both of which are assessed in the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale.
The depersonalization/derealization syndrome often involves a complex set of experiences which may include feelings of unreality, emotional numbing, heightened self-observation, changes in body experience, distortions in the experiencing of time and space, changes in the feeling of agency, feelings of having the mind empty of thoughts, memories and/or images, and an inability to focus and sustain attention.
It has been suggested that these experiences arise from two simultaneous mechanisms: an inhibition of emotional processing, and a heightened state of alertness (i.e. akin to vigilant attention). Emotional numbing or lack of emotional colouring of various perceptions, thoughts and images would result from the emotional processing inhibition. Feelings of ‘mind emptiness’, increased perceptual acuity, and feelings of lack of agency would result from the heightened alertness.
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This test is not a diagnostic tool, and for maximum benefit it should be discussed with a mental health professional.
Test instructions
This questionnaire describes strange and 'funny' experiences that normal people may have in their daily life. We are interested in the experiences' frequency (how often you have had these experiences) and their approximate duration over the last six months.
The scale for the responses is given alongside the questions as they appear. If you are unsure, give your best guess.
Calculated test results
Here are the scores from your questionnaire:
By comparison, the following values were observed in various patient populations while developing the questionnaire:
| Typical median scores on the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group | Questions endorsed | Average frequency | Average duration | Total score |
| Anxiety disorders | 7 | 1 (Rarely) | 1 (A few seconds) | 20 |
| Temporal lobe epilepsy | 11 | 1 (Rarely) | 2 (A few minutes) | 44 |
| Depersonalization disorder | 21 | 2 (Often) | 3 (A few hours) | 113 |