DDS
Diabetes Distress Scale
A self-report measure of the emotional burden of living with diabetes, distinct from clinical depression screening.
At a Glance
- Population
- Adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes
- Number of Items
- 17 items (DDS-17); a 2-item short form (DDS-2) is also published
- Instrument Type
- PROM
- Digital Administration Availability
- Suitable for self-report electronic administration
- Automated Scoring Availability
- Yes — mean-of-items scoring across four subscales and a total score, per developer guidance
- Suitable Use Settings
- Diabetes clinical care, diabetes education programmes, and research
About the Instrument
The Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) was developed by Polonsky and colleagues to capture the specific emotional burden of managing diabetes, which is conceptually distinct from general depressive symptoms.
What It Measures
Four distress domains: emotional burden, physician-related distress, regimen-related distress, and interpersonal distress.
Digital Administration
Delivered electronically through the PROMinsight platform as part of a digital patient-reported outcomes workflow.
Scoring / Reporting
Each item is rated on a 6-point scale; subscale and total scores are calculated as the mean item rating, with published thresholds indicating little/moderate/high distress.
Use in Research / Clinical Care / Clinical Trials
Widely used in diabetes clinical care and research to identify patients who may benefit from psychosocial support alongside medical management.
Enquire About This Instrument
Interested in using the DDS in your research, clinical programme or study? Contact PROMinsight to discuss access.
Enquire About This Instrument