Find out what’s really going on beneath the overwhelm
This gentle self-assessment is designed to help you understand your sensitivity, recognize your stress patterns, and discover what kind of support could serve you best.
This 10–15 minute online self-assessment combines:
HSPS-R (Highly Sensitive Person Scale – Revised) A research-backed tool for identifying your sensitivity traits
DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale) A scientifically validated tool to reflect your emotional wellbeing
8 custom questions I’ve created after working with hundreds of HSPs. These explore your real-life stress triggers, patterns, and current needs.
Together, these give you a holistic picture of how your sensitivity and stress interact—so you can work with both, not against them.
You identify as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) or wonder if you are
Or you feel anxious, overwhelmed, or emotionally flooded more often than not
Or you’re considering working with me
Or you just want to understand yourself better, with more compassion and clarity
A personalized breakdown of your results
Insight into your emotional patterns
A private, supportive first step into deeper inner work
This “HSP Stress Test” combines two scientifically validated assessments to measure your level of sensory processing sensitivity (HSP trait) and your current levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. In addition, a few survey questions help identify the specific types of stressful issues you face. This test provides valuable insights into how sensitivity and stress interact in your life, helping you better understand your unique needs as an HSP.
The test has three parts:
Part 1. The HSPS-R Scale – Are You a Highly Sensitive Person? Where Do You Fall on the Spectrum of Sensory Processing Sensitivity? (18 Questions): Pluess, M., Aron, E., Kähkönen, J. E., Lionetti, F., Huang, Y., Tillmann, T., Greven, C., & Aron, A. (2024). Evolution of the Concept of Sensitivity and its Measurement: The Highly Sensitive Person Scale-Revised. PsyArXiv. https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/w7bqu. (Used with permission from the authors) https://sensitivityresearch.com/ and https://hsperson.com/
Part 2. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) – What Is Your Current Level of Stress? (21 Questions): Lovibond, S. H., & Lovibond, P. F. (1995). Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (2nd ed.). Psychology Foundation of Australia. (Note: The DASS-21 is the shortened 21-item version of the original 42-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales developed by Lovibond and Lovibond (1995). This validated self-report instrument is designed to measure the emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress over the past week. For more information and access to the DASS, see https://www2.psy.unsw.edu.au/dass/.)
Part 3. The HSP Stress Survey (8 Questions): Created by me, Todd Smith, to understand the specific kinds of stress that you currently face as a highly sensitive person (HSP).
Thank you for taking the time to take the HSP Stress Test. I agree to keep everything you share here confidential.
Todd