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Mountains in Clouds

Maladaptive daydreaming Measures

  Important notice  

 

* If you are a researcher or a clinician feel free to use the tools on this page free of charge. Our only expectation is that you show us similar courtesy by sharing your research report with us. Below you will find the scale in many other languages. If you wish to translate the scale into a language not represented below, please contact us for translation instructions.

 

* If you suspect that you might have maladaptive daydreaming please utilize the resources on this page for your personal use. We will not provide feedback on these scores and will not use them in research. The MDS-16 score provides an indication of suspected maladaptive daydreaming and should not be considered a diagnostic tool.

 

* If you wish to receive updates and calls for research participants for future studies, please leave your contact details here.

   The 16-item Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16)   

 

This 16-item scale is the primary MD measure rated on a 10-point Likert scale. Scores may range from 0 to 100. The MDS-16 total score is the average of its items. A mean score of 40 or higher indicates suspected clinical-level MD. In 2023 APA's PsychNet added the original MDS  and the MDS-16 to its database.

  The Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale – Short form (MD-SF5)   

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The MD-SF5 is a shortened version of the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale. It includes five items rated on a 10-point Likert scale. For each item, scores may range from 0 to 100. The MD-SF5 total score is the average of its items.

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The MD-SF5 is also available in Hebrew.

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Reference

Soffer-Dudek, N., & Oh, H. (2024). Maladaptive daydreaming: A shortened assessment measure and its mental health correlates in a large United States sample. Comprehensive psychiatry, 129, 152441. 
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2023.152441

The Addictive Daydreaming Scale (ADS)   

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The Addictive Daydreaming Scale (ADS) is a self-report scale designed to measure maladaptive daydreaming.

The ADS-20 is a 20 items questionnaire, and the ADS-5 is a short-form with 5 items questionnaire. Every item in those two questionnaires rated on a 6-point Likert scale (represents frequency).

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Reference

Pietkiewicz, I.J., Hełka, A.M., and Tomalski, R. (2025). Introducing the addictive daydreaming scale: development and Polish validation of the ADS-20 and ADS-5. Frontiers in Psychiatry 16, 1702416. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1702416​

The Daydreaming Characteristics Questionnaire (DCQ)   

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The Daydreaming Characteristics Questionnaire (DCQ) is a self-report scale designed to measure immersive daydreaming (IDD), including the vividness, narrative structure, emotional valence, repetitiveness, and realism of fantasies, to distinguish maladaptive daydreaming from ADHD-related symptoms.

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Reference

Theodor-Katz, N., & Soffer-Dudek, N. (2025a). Differential diagnosis between maladaptive daydreaming and ADHD: Immersive daydreaming is not simply inattention. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 25(3), 100616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100616

 

Theodor-Katz, N., & Soffer-Dudek, N. (2025b). Where Is My Mind? The Daydreaming Characteristics Questionnaire, a New Tool to Differentiate Absorptive Daydreaming From Mind-Wandering. Journal of Attention Disorders, 29(7), 515–528. https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547251319081

   The Structured Clinical Interview for Maladaptive Daydreaming (SCIMD)   

 

The SCID-MD is a structured clinical interview, performed by a qualified professional, in order to detect active symptoms and diagnose the existence of maladaptive daydreaming. It has 4 sections and 14 diagnosis questions.

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The SCIMD is also available in

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Hebrew   |   Spanish   |   Turkish   |   French

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Children's Version

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The Structured Clinical Interview for Maladaptive Daydreaming have a children's version (SCIMD-C).

Available in the English language ​​

   The Child Maladaptive Daydreaming Checklist (CMDC)   

 

The CMDC is a questionnaire to help detect suspected clinical-level of maladaptive daydreaming in children.

The assessor fills a self-report 15-item on a 4-point Likert scale. Scores may range from 0 to 45.

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The Hebrew CMDC

   The Childhood Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (C-MDS)   

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The C-MDS is a 23-item questionnaire to detect active symptoms and diagnose the existence of potential maladaptive daydreaming in childhood. 21 of the questionnaire items are on a 5-point Likert scale. Scores may range from 1 to 5. Additional 2 items (#22-23) are open-question.

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The Hebrew C-MDS

   The Immersive Daydreaming Content Checklist (IDCC)   

 

The IDCC is a short 2 pages self-report checklist of the immersive daydreaming content. 

The International Consortium for Maladaptive Daydreaming Research (ICMDR)

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The ICMDR is a platform for scientific cooperation and a depository of information on immersive and dysfunctional forms of daydreaming. Established in 2017, comprises researchers at various stages of their careers, from different parts of the world.

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