Worry patterns (PSWQ)
How worries begin and keep going. Answer the app’s questionnaire and see your result right away.
Source · Meyer TJ, Miller ML, Metzger RL, Borkovec TD. Development and validation of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. Behav Res Ther. 1990;28(6):487–495. CareOps English translation of its existing Korean questionnaire. Wording, response choices and descriptive score ranges follow the CareOps version and have not been independently validated in English.
How to read the Penn State Worry Questionnaire
The Penn State Worry Questionnaire was published by Meyer, Borkovec and colleagues in 1990. Rather than what you worry about, it asks about your tendency to worry: how often it happens, how strong it is and how hard it is to control. The items cover feeling overwhelmed by worry, one worry leading to another, being unable to stop, and the opposite experience of letting worries go. Answer with your usual self in mind. This page uses an English translation of the CareOps version, which has not been independently validated in English.
Reading your results
The result screen shows 16–39 as lower worry, 40–59 as moderate and 60–80 as higher worry. Five of the sixteen items describe letting worries go easily and are reverse-scored, so check whether worries arise often or are hard to shake once they start. Worry can help with preparation, but in the higher range it often circles rather than leading to action. If worry delays sleep or keeps you from starting tasks, the pattern is worth working on.
A question to reflect on
Write down one worry from today and ask whether there is anything you can do about it now. If yes, note one next action. If not, postpone it to a fixed 15-minute worry time later in the day, then notice whether it feels as big when that time comes.
Frequently asked questions
- How many questions are in Worry patterns (PSWQ), and how long does it take?
- There are 16 questions, and it usually takes about 3 minutes. For each question you choose one of 5 answers, from “Not at all like me” to “Very much like me”. There are no right or wrong answers.
- Is being a worrier just my personality?
- The PSWQ asks about habitual worry, so it can look like a trait, but learning ways to handle worry can change it. Postponing worries or turning them into actions are common approaches.
- I have a big event coming up. Will that affect my score?
- The scale asks about your usual way of worrying rather than one event, but a stressful period can tilt your answers. Retake it after the event and compare.
- Is worry the same as anxiety?
- Worry is closer to repeatedly thinking about what might happen, while anxiety is broader and can include tension or a racing heart. This questionnaire focuses on worry as a thinking pattern.
- Do I need to sign in? Are my answers saved?
- You can see your results right away without signing in. Your answers are used only for scoring and are not stored on our servers.
- Can I bring these results into a counseling session?
- Use the analysis button at the bottom of the result screen to have a short conversation with Maeumi without signing in. After the conversation, you can continue in the app. The web conversation does not transfer automatically to the app.
- Can I share my results with a friend?
- Yes. Use Share at the top right of the result screen to send a friend the check itself, or share your result as a link or story image. A result link carries your scores inside the address only; it does not include your name or account, and nothing is saved on our side.