Psychiatry

PHQ-9 (Depression)

Severity of depressive symptoms.

Education and reference only. Not a substitute for clinical judgement, local policy or product labelling. Always verify before clinical use. Values are calculated in your browser and never stored.

When to use

Use to screen for and measure the severity of depression over the last 2 weeks, and to monitor response to treatment.

Why use

It is a brief, validated self-report measure widely used in primary and secondary care.

Little interest or pleasure in doing things

Feeling down, depressed or hopeless

Trouble falling/staying asleep, or sleeping too much

Feeling tired or having little energy

Poor appetite or overeating

Feeling bad about yourself / a failure

Trouble concentrating

Moving/speaking slowly, or being restless

Thoughts of being better off dead or self-harm

Critical actions

Any positive response to item 9 (self-harm) requires immediate risk assessment, regardless of total score.

Evidence & references

Kroenke K et al. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001.

About the creator

Kroenke K, Spitzer RL et al.

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