Deenz Alexithymia Scale (DAS)

Alexithymia test/quiz is the interactive version of Deenz Alexithymia Scale (DAS) based on a preliminary version of the research, development, and validation of DAS-21. The self-assessment tool is designed to measure the likelihood of manifestation of tendencies towards Alexithymia.

Alexithymia is the inability to express, describe, and identify emotions. In other words, it is also called emotional blindness. Alexithymia is not considered a formal psychiatric disorder, it is recognized as a symptom of many mental and neurological disorders. Alexithymia may have symptoms of autism spectrum, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and various personality disorders.

From a modern psychological perspective, it is considered a factor that influences how people regulate and express emotions. The difficulty in regulating emotions and the inability to express them makes it an interesting topic for researchers to understand and explore the traits on a spectrum. A person with alexithymia may face difficulty maintaining interpersonal relationships and it may impact psychological well-being.

Deenz alexithymia scale is designed to measure inclination towards 7 key dimensions associated with alexithymia in nonclinical populations. The assessment consists of 21 statements and typically requires 3–6 minutes to complete.

The DAS-21 contains 21 items distributed across seven dimensions of alexithymia. Responses are scored on an agreement scale and combined to generate overall and facet scores. Higher scores indicate greater alexithymic tendencies.

Sometimes I feel off, but I can't pinpoint why.

I often have trouble telling if I'm sad, mad, or just tired.

When things go wrong, I'm not sure how it makes me feel.

Even when I'm happy, I struggle to express it in words.

When I'm upset, I don't know how to tell someone what's going on.

I often feel lost for words when trying to describe how I feel.

I'm more interested in solving problems than discussing emotions.

I prefer conversations about facts and details rather than emotions and feelings.

I find it easier to talk about what I've seen or done rather than how I've felt.

When I try to imagine a future scenario, my mind goes blank.

When someone describes a scene, I have trouble visualizing it in my mind.

When I try to imagine a happy memory, the details are fuzzy.

When others are excited, I don't feel the same level of excitement.

Even in sad situations, I don't feel very upset.

I have difficulty feeling genuine affection for others.

I'm not very good at noticing when I'm feeling happy or sad.

I often don't realize when my mood changes.

I find it hard to identify the signs that I'm getting upset.

I have trouble finding the right words when I'm angry.

I tend to use generic terms like "good" or "bad" to describe how I feel.

I find it challenging to describe subtle emotional experiences.