5-item global measure of life satisfaction based on cognitive judgment. ≈ 1 min to complete. Free with attribution.
SWLS (Satisfaction With Life Scale) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess 5-item global measure of life satisfaction based on cognitive judgment.. It is most often used for 5-item global measure of life satisfaction based on cognitive judgment.. The instrument contains 5 items. Typical administration time is ≈ 1 min.
Source / attribution: Free to use with citation
5-item global measure of life satisfaction based on cognitive judgment. SWLS is part of standard practice in this setting because it provides a structured, replicable assessment that can be tracked over time and compared across patients or visits.
Like all screening or assessment instruments, SWLS is a structured aid — not a diagnostic test in isolation. Results should be interpreted alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Where a score crosses an actionable threshold, the next step is typically a more detailed clinical evaluation rather than a definitive diagnosis.
Answer all 5 items below to see your SWLS score and interpretation.
Each item is scored on a 7-point scale (1–7). Your score updates live as you answer.
All scoring runs in your browser. No data is sent anywhere — close the tab and the answers are gone.
Sum all 5 items scored 1-7. Total range 5-35. Higher scores = greater life satisfaction.
Scoring notes: Sum all 5 items scored 1-7. Total range 5-35. Higher scores = greater life satisfaction.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 5–9 | Extremely dissatisfied | Consider intervention |
| 10–14 | Dissatisfied | Monitor |
| 15–19 | Slightly dissatisfied | Monitor |
| 20–24 | Slightly satisfied | Maintain |
| 25–29 | Satisfied | Maintain |
| 30–35 | Extremely satisfied | Maintain |
This is an illustrative walkthrough, not a real patient. Follow the same four steps with your own answers — or use the live calculator at the top of this page.
Read each question and choose the response that best fits. Each response has a number next to it — that number is the item's score. The example below uses illustrative answers.
| # | Item | Example response | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | In most ways my life is close to my ideal | Neither agree nor disagree | 4 |
| 2 | The conditions of my life are excellent | Neither agree nor disagree | 4 |
| 3 | I am satisfied with my life | Slightly agree | 5 |
| 4 | So far I have gotten the important things I want in life | Neither agree nor disagree | 4 |
| 5 | If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing | Slightly agree | 5 |
Add up all the item scores you noted in Step 1.
4 + 4 + 5 + 4 + 5 = 22
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 22 falls between 20 and 24 → Slightly satisfied
Slightly satisfied. Maintain
A score is one input alongside history and examination. SWLS supports clinical judgment — it does not replace it.
Psychometric figures are drawn from the validation literature and may vary across clinical populations and translations.
If SWLS doesn't fit your context, related instruments in quality of life include:
| Scale | Measures | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| SF-12 | Brief 12-item version of SF-36 for large surveys and routine monitoring. | 12 | ≈ 3 min |
| EQ-5D-5L | Generic health status measure with 5 dimensions and 5 levels each plus visual analog scale. | 5 | ≈ 2 min |
| PHQ-9 | Severity of depression | 9 | ≈ 3 minutes |
| GAD-7 | Severity of generalized anxiety | 7 | ≈ 2 minutes |
| AUDIT | 10-item WHO screening tool for hazardous alcohol consumption and dependence. | 10 | ≈ 3 min |
| CHA2DS2-VASc | Annual stroke risk in non-valvular atrial fibrillation | 8 | — |
| Glasgow Coma Scale | Level of consciousness after head injury | 3 | — |
| MELD-Na | 3-month mortality in advanced liver disease; transplant prioritization | 5 | — |
SWLS (Satisfaction With Life Scale) is a validated instrument that assesses life satisfaction based on cognitive judgment. It is designed for clinicians, medical students, evidence-synthesis researchers. It takes about 1 min to complete, and the 5 items are summed to produce a total score.
SWLS typically takes about 1 min to administer. The exact duration varies a little depending on whether it is self-administered or completed with a clinician. Its brief format is part of what makes it practical for routine clinical use and for repeat administration when tracking change over time.
SWLS contains 5 items. Item scores are summed to produce the total. Scores run from 5 to 35, grouped into 6 interpretation bands from ‘Extremely dissatisfied’ up to ‘Extremely satisfied’.
On the SWLS (total score 5–35), scores of 30–35 fall in the ‘Extremely satisfied’ band — interpreted as: Maintain. The full ladder is: 5–9 — Extremely dissatisfied: Consider intervention.; 10–14 — Dissatisfied: Monitor.; 15–19 — Slightly dissatisfied: Monitor.; 20–24 — Slightly satisfied: Maintain.; 25–29 — Satisfied: Maintain.; 30–35 — Extremely satisfied: Maintain. A higher score reflects a more severe presentation, and crossing a cutoff is a prompt to step up assessment or care — but these bands are screening thresholds, not diagnoses.
Scores of 5–9 fall in the ‘Extremely dissatisfied’ band: Consider intervention. A low score is reassuring but does not by itself rule out the underlying condition — if symptoms or clinical suspicion persist, reassess over time or use a complementary evaluation rather than relying on the number alone.
SWLS has reported Cronbach's α of 0.87 in validation samples and test–retest reliability of 0.82. Widely used in well-being research across cultures. In practical terms, a Cronbach’s α around 0.87 indicates good internal consistency (the items hang together well), and a test–retest reliability of 0.82 means scores are strongly stable when the scale is repeated without real clinical change.
SWLS is free to use with attribution — clinical, educational, and research use is permitted provided the original source is credited. If you publish results or reproduce the scale, include the citation to the source paper.
Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The Satisfaction With Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71-75. This is the original publication for the SWLS — the reference to cite when reporting results.
No. SWLS is a structured assessment aid, not a diagnostic test. Its proper role is clinical assessment of life satisfaction based on cognitive judgment — it standardizes assessment and flags who needs closer evaluation, but the result must be weighed alongside history, examination, and clinical context. When a score conflicts with your clinical impression, clinical judgment takes precedence; treatment decisions should never rest on a screening score alone.
SWLS is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: