WHODAS 2.0: World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule
The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule is a 36-item questionnaire (WHODAS 2.0, with a 12-item short version) that measures health-related functioning and disability across six life domains: cognition, mobility, self-care, getting along, life activities and participation. It is condition-agnostic and is the disability measure included in DSM-5-TR Section III.
WHODAS 2.0 is the World Health Organization's 36-item measure of health and disability across six life domains.
What the WHODAS 2.0 measures
WHODAS 2.0 (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0) is a generic assessment tool developed by the World Health Organization to measure health and disability across populations and settings. It is grounded in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and provides a standardized method for measuring the impact of health conditions on day-to-day functioning.
Unlike condition-specific scales, WHODAS 2.0 is condition-agnostic, it measures functional limitation regardless of the underlying cause. This makes it valuable for cross-diagnostic comparisons, population health research, and tracking rehabilitation outcomes. The DSM-5-TR includes WHODAS 2.0 in Section III as the recommended measure of disability, replacing the former Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale.
The 36-item version covers six domains. A validated 12-item brief version is available for settings where time is limited. Both versions are available in self-administered, interviewer-administered, and proxy formats. WHODAS 2.0 has been translated into 47 languages and validated in 19 countries.
The six life domains
- Cognition
- Mobility
- Self-care
- Getting along
- Life activities
- Participation
How to administer the WHODAS 2.0
WHODAS 2.0 can be self-administered, interviewer-administered (a clinician or researcher reads the items aloud) or proxy-administered (a caregiver or family member answers for the person). Use the 36-item version when a detailed domain profile is needed and the 12-item version when time is limited. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale: None (1), Mild (2), Moderate (3), Severe (4), Extreme/Cannot do (5).
WHODAS 2.0 scoring and interpretation
WHODAS 2.0 offers two scoring approaches depending on the precision required. Higher scores indicate greater disability. There are no published severity cutoffs, and a single minimal clinically important difference has not been established (Federici et al., 2017), so scores are best tracked within the person over time.
Sum all item scores, then convert to a 0–100 scale. Item scores range from 1–5; sum is divided by the maximum possible score and multiplied by 100. Fast and appropriate for most clinical and research contexts.
Item Response Theory (IRT) conversion using published lookup tables. More precise, accounts for the fact that items differ in difficulty and discriminability. Recommended for cross-study comparisons and population research. Requires the World Health Organization conversion tables.
Psychometric properties
In the WHO development studies, more than 65,000 respondents from general and patient populations were interviewed. The WHODAS 2.0 showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.86), a stable factor structure, high test-retest reliability (ICC 0.98), good concurrent validity against other disability measures, conformity to Rasch scaling and good responsiveness, with effect sizes of 0.44 to 1.38 across health interventions (Üstün et al., 2010). A systematic review identified 810 studies from 94 countries, with translations into 47 languages and dialects, and found strong correlations with other measures of activity limitation (Federici et al., 2017). Among older adults in Singapore, the interviewer-administered 12-item version had a one-factor structure and internal consistency of 0.92 (Subramaniam et al., 2020).
Limitations
- Not a diagnosis. WHODAS 2.0 measures functioning and disability, not the condition causing it.
- No cutoffs or MCID. There are no published severity bands, and a single minimal clinically important difference has not been established.
- Scoring method matters. Simple-sum and IRT-based scores are not interchangeable; state which method was used.
- Format and informant. Self, interviewer and proxy administration suit different settings; record which was used when comparing scores.
- Responsiveness in some groups. Further research was called for on its responsiveness in older adults (Subramaniam et al., 2020).
Available Versions
WHODAS 2.0 is available in four versions to suit different clinical and research contexts.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is WHODAS 2.0 self-report or clinician-administered?
WHODAS 2.0 is available in three administration formats: self-administered (the patient completes it independently), interviewer-administered (a clinician or researcher reads items aloud), and proxy-administered (a caregiver or family member responds on the patient's behalf). All three formats produce comparable scores, making the choice of format flexible based on setting and patient capacity.
How is WHODAS 2.0 scored?
Two approaches exist. The simple sum method adds item scores (each rated 1–5) and converts the total to a 0–100 scale, where 0 represents no disability and 100 represents full disability. The Item Response Theory (IRT) method applies published WHO conversion tables for greater precision, accounting for differences in item difficulty; this approach is recommended for cross-study comparisons and population research.
Can WHODAS 2.0 diagnose a condition?
No. WHODAS 2.0 measures functional limitation and disability across six life domains, regardless of the underlying diagnosis. It is condition-agnostic and not designed to identify or diagnose any specific health condition. Clinicians use it to quantify the impact a health condition has on daily functioning rather than to determine what that condition is.
What is the difference between the 12-item and 36-item versions of WHODAS 2.0?
The 36-item version assesses all six domains in detail and is appropriate when a thorough functional profile is needed. The 12-item brief version is a validated short form designed for settings where time is limited; it provides a reliable global disability score but offers less domain-level granularity. Both versions are © World Health Organization: clinicians may reproduce them without permission for use with their own patients, and any other use, including electronic use, requires written permission from WHO.
Bill this assessment
The WHODAS 2.0: World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule qualifies for reimbursement under these CPT codes (US).
Using this assessment in practice
For clinicians
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For individuals
This page is a clinical reference, not a diagnostic tool. If you have concerns about your own symptoms, bring this information to a qualified mental health professional.
References
- 1.Üstün TB, Chatterji S, Kostanjsek N, Rehm J, Kennedy C, Epping-Jordan J, Saxena S, von Korff M, Pull C. Developing the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0. Bull World Health Organ. 2010;88(11):815-823.View source
- 2.Federici S, Bracalenti M, Meloni F, Luciano JV. World Health Organization disability assessment schedule 2.0: An international systematic review. Disabil Rehabil. 2017;39(23):2347-2380.View source
- 3.Subramaniam M, Abdin E, Vaingankar JA, Sagayadevan V, Shahwan S, Picco L, Chong SA. Validation of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 among older adults in an Asian country. Singapore Med J. 2020;61(5):246-253.View source
Last reviewed: Jun 3, 2026
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