Self-assessment

Depression Self-Assessment (PHQ-9)

A free, private 9-question check-in on low mood, based on the PHQ-9 questionnaire used by doctors worldwide.

2 minutesFreePrivate: nothing leaves your device

Depression Self-Assessment (PHQ-9)

Answer 9 questions about the past two weeks. You will get a score and a plain-language explanation. Your answers stay in your browser.

Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems?

  1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things
  2. Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
  3. Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much
  4. Feeling tired or having little energy
  5. Poor appetite or overeating
  6. Feeling bad about yourself, or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down
  7. Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading or watching television
  8. Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed, or the opposite: being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual
  9. Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself in some way
  10. If you checked off any problems, how difficult have these problems made it for you to do your work, take care of things at home, or get along with other people? (optional, not scored)

About this tool

The PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) is one of the most widely used depression screening questionnaires in primary care and mental health settings. Each of the nine questions matches one of the symptom criteria used to diagnose major depression, and each is scored from 0 to 3.

A higher total score means more symptoms over the past two weeks. Scores of 5, 10, 15 and 20 mark the cut-offs for mild, moderate, moderately severe and severe symptoms. A score of 10 or more is commonly used as the point at which clinicians look more closely.

The last question asks about thoughts of death or self-harm. If you answer anything other than "Not at all," we will show support options right away, whatever your total score.

What to keep in mind

  • It is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. Only a qualified professional can diagnose a condition.
  • It reflects how you have felt recently, not who you are, and results can change.
  • It cannot replace an evaluation that considers your history, health and circumstances.

References

We rely on government health agencies, professional medical organizations, peer-reviewed research and academic institutions. Read our sourcing standards.

  1. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure(opens in a new tab)

    Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2001Peer-reviewed journal

  2. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) Screeners(opens in a new tab)

    Developed by Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke and colleagues; no permission required to reproduce, translate, display or distributeProfessional organization

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