Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Your Score - Please read first!

What's the purpose of the test?

To provide a general, rough screening for a number of mental health issues that could be of concern to you.

What's the average score?

100, +/- 25

What does my score mean?

Your overall score is the least important thing of this test (and the least scientific at present).

Overall scores above 150 are of the greatest concern, as it suggests you have a lot of distress in your life related to more than one mental health issue.

Scores between 100 and 150 may suggest some mental health concerns, but whether they cause distress or not is not clear. If something isn't causing you distress, it's likely not a problem nor something you necessarily need treatment for.

Scores less than 100 don't mean anything in particular -- just that you're a pretty healthy, normal individual with some issues from time to time.

What's a "major" concern? What's a "minor" concern?

These concerns are the most important take-away of the test.

A major concern is something the test identified as something you'd likely or possibly meet the diagnostic criteria for a disorder related to that concern.

A minor concern is something the test identified as something that may be an issue in your life, but doesn't likely rise to an actual disorder or diagnosis.

Are high numbers bad? Are low numbers bad?

Higher/lower numbers don't mean anything except in relationship to the average score of 100. Lower than 100 doesn't mean you're "more" sane, just that you don't have any serious mental health issues in your life at present.

Higher scores above 100 suggest you may have a number of issues that could become a problem if not addressed.

Higher scores above 150 suggest you likely have a number of mental health issues causing you distress in your life that should be treated.

You can have a single significant issue, but still score low overall. The key takeaway from such a situation is the significant issue (not your overall score).

Remember, your overall score is the least important aspect of this test. The most important aspect are the issues identified as "major" and, to a lesser extent, "minor."

Am I messed up/insane/crazy?

No, the test won't answer those questions. But aren't we all to some degree anyway?

What am I supposed to do about these results?

Print out your test summary report and take it into your mental health professional. If you don't have a mental health professional, take it into your family doctor or primary care physician, if you feel like you're troubled by the concerns highlighted in the report.

Are the test results scientifically valid?

For individual major and minor issues, yes, those are scientifically validated.

The overall score, however, is not as well validated. Such validity testing is ongoing and not yet completed. So take your overall score with a grain of salt at present.

What am I supposed to do to "fix" myself? Should I seek therapy as a result of these results?

If the concerns highlighted by the test are causing you concern or distress in your life, you should consider seeking out professional help for them from a specialist -- a mental health professional such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or psychotherapist.

Such a mental health professional can properly evaluate you for mental health concerns, and consider a treatment course that would work best for you if needed. This may include psychotherapy, or medications, or a combination of both.

It may also be that the Sanity Score highlighted concerns of no distress to you. In such an instance, you can continue living your life without paying much attention to your scores.

My score is ___. Should I be worried?

Please see the above questions. If the major concerns highlighted by the test are causing you concern in your life, then yes, you should seek out treatment for them.

As for worrying, what has that ever solved in our lives? The good news is that all mental disorders are treatable and you can achieve symptom relief within a few months.

Remember, this test is primarily meant to help identify possible problems in your life. It's not perfect and may err.