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PHQ-9 depression severity

Also called Patient Health Questionnaire-9, PHQ9, depression screening

Nine DSM-IV depression symptoms over the last 2 weeks, each scored 0–3; total 0–27 grades depression severity.

1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things
2. Feeling down, depressed or hopeless
3. Sleep problem (too little or too much)
4. Tired or low energy
5. Poor appetite or overeating
6. Feeling bad about yourself, a failure
7. Trouble concentrating
8. Slowed down, or fidgety and restless
9. Thoughts of being better off dead or of self-harm

Fill 9 more fields to see the result.

Formula and scoring

Sum of 9 items, each 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day). Bands: 0–4 minimal, 5–9 mild, 10–14 moderate, 15–19 moderately severe, 20–27 severe.

Exam and ward pearls

  • Score ≥10: sensitivity 88%, specificity 88% for major depression (Kroenke 2001).
  • Any positive answer to item 9 needs a direct suicide-risk assessment, even when the total is low.
  • The first two items form the PHQ-2 screen.

When not to rely on it

  • A screening and severity tool, not a diagnosis; confirm with a clinical interview.
  • Validated in US primary care; use a validated translation (e.g. Hindi) when the patient does not read English.

Source

  1. Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001;16(9):606-13. doi:10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x · PMID 11556941

Formula and cut-offs checked against these sources on 8 Nov 2026. Educational tool for clinicians; it does not replace clinical judgement.

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