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Informational · does not replace consultation with a healthcare professional.

PHQ-9 Depression Scale

Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for major depressive disorder screening and severity assessment.

Switch how results are explained

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 the newspaper or watching television
8. Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed? Or the opposite — being so fidgety or restless
9. Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself in some way
Score0low risk
low riskmoderate riskhigh risk

Minimal or no depression (0–4). Typically does not require formal treatment.

Evidence grade
A

What it is and when to use it

The PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) is a validated 9-item tool for screening, diagnosing, monitoring, and measuring the severity of major depression.

How to interpret it

Scores 0–4: Minimal/No depression; 5–9: Mild depression; 10–14: Moderate depression; 15–19: Moderately severe depression; 20–27: Severe depression.

Limitations and when not to use it

A high PHQ-9 score is not a standalone diagnosis; medical causes of mood disturbance (e.g. hypothyroidism) should be ruled out. Any score > 0 on Item 9 warrants emergency suicide risk assessment.

Frequently asked questions

How often can the PHQ-9 be administered?
The PHQ-9 can be repeated every 2–4 weeks to monitor treatment response and symptom remission over time.

Formulas and cut-offs are from the original authors of each score; see the references.

Last reviewed: June 2026

References
  1. Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001;16(9):606-613. PMID:11556941