⚕️ For clinical reference only. Not a substitute for professional judgment.

PHQ-9 Depression

Patient Health Questionnaire-9 — validated tool for depression screening, diagnosis, and monitoring treatment response. NICE-recommended.

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Complete all 9 questions

Rate how often each problem has bothered you over the last 2 weeks.

Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by...

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 more than usual

9. Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself in some way

Functional Impairment

If any problems above: how difficult have they made work, home, or getting along with others?

This question does not contribute to the score but is documented in clinical assessment.

Severity Thresholds

1–4: Minimal symptoms — monitor, watchful waiting 5–9: Mild depression — active monitoring, consider counselling 10–14: Moderate depression — treatment plan (therapy/medication) 15–19: Moderately severe — active treatment (medication + therapy) 20–27: Severe depression — immediate specialist referral

Question 9: Any score >0 requires immediate safety assessment.

References

Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The PHQ-9. J Gen Intern Med. 2001;16(9):606–13.
NICE CG90. Depression in adults. 2009 (updated 2022).