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Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)

Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) Test

Understand depression symptom severity in about 2 minutes. Nine focused items deliver a clear snapshot to guide next steps and referrals.

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Questions: 92 minutes

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08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

18095 views

2941 completion

1530 likes

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

17/27

Depression Severity (DS)

Measures the severity of depressive symptoms experienced over the past two weeks.

None to Mild

Moderate

Moderately Severe to Severe

0 – 9: None to Mild | 10 – 14: Moderate | 15 – 27: Moderately Severe to Severe

A score of 17 falls in the Moderately Severe to Severe range, indicating a high level of depressive symptoms over the past two weeks.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Feeling persistently low

44%OF USERS

People who have had sadness, loss of interest, fatigue, sleep or appetite changes, or self-critical thoughts for the past couple of weeks use it to understand how severe it is.

Primary care patients

33%OF USERS

Patients in general medical settings take it when a clinician wants a quick, structured check of depressive symptoms during a visit.

Monitoring treatment progress

23%OF USERS

People already in therapy or on medication take it repeatedly to track symptom changes over time and decide if follow-up is needed.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

What You’ll See After You Finish the Test

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale, translated into plain, usable insights. Not just numbers, but what they actually mean for your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

A structured, clinically grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation — without alarmist language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how you compare to others. Your scores are placed in a statistical context, showing percentiles and trends based on anonymized platform data to help you understand what`s typical.

Practical
Recommendations

Actionable guidance tailored to your profile. Receive clear, realistic suggestions you can apply immediately — focused on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Detected
Insights

Key patterns you might not notice on your own. Surfacing subtle connections in your responses that help you better understand what may be driving your current results.

Discuss with
an AI Psychologist

Clarify, reflect, and explore right away. Talk through your outcomes, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue environment.

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Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you finish the test, your results will be compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of the benchmarks we use to place your score in context.

Depression Level (DL)

Average

Normal range

7.6 — 14.5

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

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Trusted by 22k+ Users Worldwide

CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

Any questions left?

What does this questionnaire measure?

It screens for common depressive symptoms and estimates their severity. It is intended for rapid symptom review, not a stand-alone diagnosis.

What time period should be used when answering?

Answer based on the past two weeks. Use the option that best matches how often each symptom occurred during that period.

How long does it take to complete?

Most individuals complete it in about 2 minutes. It includes 9 items.

How should the frequency options be selected?

Select one response per item that reflects frequency, from “not at all” to “nearly every day.” If uncertain, choose the closest estimate.

What should be done if responses indicate severe symptoms or thoughts of self-harm?

Arrange prompt clinical evaluation and follow local safety procedures. Do not use the results as the only basis for risk decisions.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) Test

depression

This measure is commonly used to quickly screen for the presence and severity of depressive symptoms in clinical and primary care settings. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) asks respondents to rate how often specific symptoms have been present over the past 2 weeks.

It contains 9 items and typically takes about 2 minutes to complete. Items assess core depressive symptom domains such as anhedonia, low mood, sleep and appetite disturbance, fatigue, concentration problems, psychomotor changes, and thoughts of self-harm; responses are summed to support symptom-severity estimation and to guide need for further assessment. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is attributed to Kurt Kroenke.

Author: janet-b-w-williams, Kurt Kroenke, robert-l-spitzer

Literature: Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Brown, G. K. Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Psychological Corporation. 1996.; Kessler, R. C., Andrews, G., Colpe, L. J., Hiripi, E., Mroczek, D. K., Normand, S.-L. T., Walters, E. E., & Zaslavsky, A. M. Short screening scales to monitor population prevalences and trends in non-specific psychological distress. Psychological Medicine. 2002.; Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. W. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2001.

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