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.

For professional reference, research, and education only. Not for diagnosis or medical advice.

WHODAS 2.0 is the World Health Organization's 36-item measure of health and disability across six life domains.

What does the WHODAS 2.0 measure?

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, and a 12-item brief version suits settings where time is limited [1].

Both versions come in self-administered, interviewer-administered and proxy formats. WHODAS 2.0 has been translated into 47 languages and dialects [2].

The six life domains

  1. Cognition
  2. Mobility
  3. Self-care
  4. Getting along
  5. Life activities
  6. Participation

How do you give 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).

How do you score and interpret the WHODAS 2.0?

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 [2], so scores are best tracked within the person over time.

  • Simple sum. Sum all item scores (each 1–5), divide by the maximum possible score and multiply by 100 for a 0–100 score. Fast and appropriate for most clinical and research contexts.
  • Item Response Theory (IRT). Converts responses using the World Health Organization's published lookup tables. More precise, because it accounts for items differing in difficulty and discriminability; recommended for cross-study comparisons and population research.

Psychometric properties

  • WHO development studies. More than 65,000 respondents from the general population and from clinical 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 [1].
  • Systematic review. 810 studies from 94 countries, with translations into 47 languages and dialects; the WHODAS 2.0 correlated strongly with other measures of activity limitation [2].
  • Older adults in Singapore. The interviewer-administered 12-item version had a one-factor structure and internal consistency of 0.92 [3].

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 [3].

Available versions

WHODAS 2.0 is available in four versions to suit different clinical and research contexts.

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.

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FAQ

  • Is WHODAS 2.0 self-report or clinician-administered?

    WHODAS 2.0 is available in three administration formats: self-administered (the client completes it independently), interviewer-administered (a clinician or researcher reads items aloud), and proxy-administered (a caregiver or family member responds on the client's behalf). The choice of format depends on the setting and the client's capacity; record which format was used when comparing scores.

  • 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.

References

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.

HiBoop does not offer this scale. This page is reference material.

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