Let’s talk about something that’s kind of heavy but really eye-opening—the Beck Hopelessness Scale. Sometimes life feels like you’re staring into a foggy future, wondering if things will ever truly work out. I want to share this with you in a way that feels like we’re sitting down with a cup of tea, chatting honestly. I’ll jump around a bit—between the test, the man who made it, and what it’s like to take it—because that’s how my thoughts flow. This is written for anyone to understand, no matter if you’re a teacher, a student, or just someone trying to make sense of life. Let’s dive in.

Who is Aaron Beck?

This powerful tool comes from Dr. Aaron T. Beck, a groundbreaking American psychotherapist who spent his career figuring out why we get stuck in dark places. He is widely regarded as the father of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). He’s the same brilliant mind behind the widely used depression and anxiety inventories. This particular scale, created in 1974, zooms in specifically on how you feel about the future. It’s called the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), and it’s designed to measure whether you see your future as a dead end or if there’s still a spark of hope left. Beck understood that when people feel hopeless, they often genuinely believe their dreams are out of reach and their problems are unsolvable. This test isn’t about judging you—it’s like holding up a mirror to see how your mind is framing what’s ahead.

Try the Test

Want to try it? The scale consists of 20 statements and takes only a few minutes to complete. You just decide if each one is true or false for you, based on how you’ve been feeling over the past week. True gets 1 point, false gets 0, but the scoring is a little specific, as we'll see below. Jot down your answers, and we’ll add them up. I’m presenting the statements in a mixed order because life doesn’t always line up neatly. Here they are:

1. I look forward to the future with hope and enthusiasm.
2. I might as well give up because there’s nothing I can do about my problems.
3. When things are going badly, I am helped by knowing they can't stay that way forever.
4. I can’t imagine what my life will be like in 10 years.
5. I have enough time to accomplish the things I most want to do.
6. In the future, I expect to succeed in what concerns me most.
7. I expect to get more of the good things in life than the average person.
8. My future seems dark to me.
9. I just don’t get the breaks, and there’s no reason to believe I will in the future.
10. My past experiences have prepared me well for my future.
11. All I can see ahead of me is unpleasantness rather than pleasantness.
12. I don’t expect to get what I really want.
13. When I look ahead to the future, I expect I will be happier than I am now.
14. Things just don’t work out the way I want them to.
15. I have great faith in the future.
16. I never get what I want, so it's foolish to want anything.
17. It is very unlikely that I will get any real satisfaction in the future.
18. The future seems vague and uncertain to me.
19. I can look forward to more good times than bad times.
20. There's no use in really trying to get anything I want because I probably won't get it.

What's Your Score?

Now, let's calculate your score. This part is important. Give yourself one point for each of the following answers:

• False for items: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 13, 15, 19.
• True for items: 2, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20.

Add up all your points. This is your total score. Here is a general guide to what the scores might mean:

• 0-3: No or minimal hopelessness. You are likely seeing the future with a sense of optimism and possibility.
• 4-8: Mild hopelessness. You might feel a bit stuck or pessimistic at times, but it’s not overwhelming your outlook.
• 9-14: Moderate hopelessness. These feelings may be significantly impacting your mood and motivation. It could be very beneficial to explore ways to lift your spirits and challenge these negative thoughts.
• 15-20: Severe hopelessness. This is a strong indicator that you should talk to someone. Reaching out to a mental health professional, a doctor, or a trusted person is a crucial step toward feeling better.

Remember, this is not a clinical diagnosis. It is simply a way to check in with yourself. When I took it recently, I scored a 5 and realized that ongoing stress about work was casting a bigger shadow than I had admitted to myself. It prompted me to pause and actively rethink my work-life balance.

Why This Test Matters

Beck was truly onto something profound with this scale. He recognized that hopelessness is a specific psychological state, not just a symptom of feeling sad. It’s a cognitive pattern where your brain has become convinced the future is a lost cause. He observed this pattern frequently in individuals with depression and understood that hopelessness is one of the strongest predictors of suicidal ideation. This simple true-or-false quiz can be a powerful tool for self-awareness and can highlight a critical risk factor. It’s wild to think how much our thoughts about the future shape how we feel and act in the present.

I remember a time in my life when I felt like I was stuck in quicksand, completely convinced that nothing would ever get better. A tool like this would have helped me put a name to the feeling, to see it wasn't just me being "dramatic," but rather my mind painting everything gray. A friend of mine took it and scored high, which was the final push she needed to start therapy. She later told me it was like someone finally validated and named the heavy weight she had been carrying.

A Few Thoughts

If your score is on the higher side, please do not let it scare you. See it as a nudge—an important signal from your mind that it’s time to take care of yourself. I’m no expert, but I’ve found that small, consistent actions can help build hope. Some things that help me include:

• Writing down one small thing I’m grateful for each day.
• Going for a walk, even for just 10 minutes, to clear my head.
• Trying a simple breathing trick: inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4, and exhale for 4. It’s like a mini-reset for a racing mind.

Most importantly, talking to someone you trust—a friend, family member, or professional—can make a world of difference. Beck's work has helped millions because it is practical. He wasn’t focused on abstract, complicated theories; he wanted to create real tools that anyone could use to understand and help themselves. This scale has been a cornerstone of clinical psychology for decades because it works. It’s a quick, reliable check-up for your hope levels.

If you're curious about your score or want to dig deeper, consider trying it again in a week to see if anything has shifted, or share this with a friend. It’s not about fixing everything at once—it’s about noticing where you are, right now. Here’s to finding a bit of light, wherever you are on your journey.

References

• Beck, A. T., Weissman, A., Lester, D., & Trexler, L. (1974). The measurement of pessimism: The Hopelessness Scale. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42(6), 861–865.

  This is the original, foundational paper where Dr. Beck and his colleagues first introduced the scale, explaining its development and initial validation.

• Beck, A. T., & Steer, R. A. (1988). Manual for the Beck Hopelessness Scale. The Psychological Corporation.

  This is the official clinical manual that provides detailed instructions for administering, scoring, and interpreting the scale in professional settings.