Panic Disorder Test
A confidential self-assessment informed by DSM-5 panic disorder criteria and the dimensions of the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS), which clinicians use to gauge how much panic is affecting a person's life. In a few minutes you get an instant severity result and a plain-language PDF report you can keep or bring to a therapist.
Panic is more than the attacks themselves
Good panic measures look beyond how often attacks happen. The PDSS framework also weighs the dread between attacks and the ways panic quietly reshapes your life, because those are often what cause the most suffering.
The PDSS dimensions
This screener follows the five areas the Panic Disorder Severity Scale weighs: how often attacks happen, how distressing they are, anticipatory anxiety between attacks, avoidance of situations, and avoidance of physical sensations.
Anticipatory dread
For many people the fear of the next attack is more limiting than the attacks. We measure the worry and watchfulness that build up in between, not just the episodes themselves.
How life narrows
Panic often shrinks a person's world: skipped events, avoided places, exercise dropped because a racing heart feels dangerous. We capture that interference, which is where treatment makes the biggest difference.
| Feature | Typical free quiz | Psychology.com |
|---|---|---|
| Based on DSM-5 panic criteria | Vaguely | Yes, faithful to the criteria |
| Covers PDSS dimensions | Rarely | All five dimensions |
| Anticipatory anxiety measured | Often missed | Yes, its own focus |
| Avoidance and interference | No | Yes, situational and bodily |
| Clinician-reviewed interpretation | Rarely | Yes, reviewed |
| Downloadable PDF report | No | Yes, branded & shareable |
| Confidential (no data sent) | Often tracked | Runs in your browser |
Methodology & sources
This test is informed by the DSM-5 criteria for panic disorder and by the dimensions of the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS), developed and validated by Shear and colleagues (1997). The PDSS rates seven dimensions of panic disorder, including panic attack frequency, distress during attacks, anticipatory anxiety, agoraphobic avoidance, avoidance of feared physical sensations, and impairment in work and social life. Our items adapt those dimensions into plain-language statements rated from 0 (none) to 4 (extreme), giving a total from 0 to 48. This is an educational adaptation, not the scored clinical PDSS, and the bands are descriptive rather than official diagnostic cutoffs.
This test is provided for education and self-reflection. It is not a diagnosis. Panic attacks can be intensely frightening, yet they are not physically dangerous in themselves, and panic disorder is one of the most treatable anxiety conditions. Only a licensed clinician can assess panic disorder, ideally by talking with you about your history and ruling out medical causes. If your result concerns you, treat it as a prompt to reach out, not as a label.
- Shear MK, Brown TA, Barlow DH, et al. Multicenter collaborative Panic Disorder Severity Scale. Am J Psychiatry. 1997;154(11):1571–1575.
- American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). Arlington, VA: APA; 2013.
- Houck PR, Spiegel DA, Shear MK, Rucci P. Reliability of the self-report version of the Panic Disorder Severity Scale. Depress Anxiety. 2002;15(4):183–185.
Panic Disorder Test FAQ
What is a panic disorder test?
It is a short, research-informed screening that looks at how often panic attacks happen and how much they affect your life, across the dimensions clinicians use in the Panic Disorder Severity Scale. It produces a descriptive severity result, not a diagnosis.
Are panic attacks dangerous?
Panic attacks feel terrifying and can mimic a heart attack, with a racing heart, chest tightness, and a sense of doom. But a panic attack itself is not physically dangerous. It is your body's alarm system firing when there is no real threat, and it always passes. If you have never had chest symptoms checked by a doctor, it is wise to do so once to rule out medical causes.
What is the difference between a panic attack and panic disorder?
Many people have an occasional panic attack. Panic disorder is when attacks recur unexpectedly and you spend ongoing time fearing the next one or changing your behavior to avoid it. The pattern, not a single attack, is what defines the condition.
Is this test a diagnosis?
No. It is for education and self-reflection only. Only a licensed clinician can diagnose panic disorder, usually by talking with you about your symptoms, history, and life context. If your results concern you, consider reaching out to a therapist or doctor.
Can panic disorder get better?
Yes. Panic disorder is one of the most treatable anxiety conditions. Cognitive behavioral therapy, including interoceptive exposure, helps most people, and certain medications can help too. Many people become attack-free or close to it with the right care.