Panic Disorder Screener (PHQ-PD) Test

People considering panic disorder screening may use this questionnaire to organise recent experiences of sudden fear, bodily arousal, and concern about further attacks. The Panic Disorder Screener (PHQ-PD) Test is intended for people who want a focused first look at whether their answers show a pattern warranting closer attention. Its result highlights the response pattern so the next conversation can begin with clearer, more specific observations.

What This Assessment Explores

The questionnaire examines possible panic episodes rather than isolated worry. It covers unexpected attacks, fear of recurrence, and panic attack symptoms such as breathing difficulty, palpitations, sweating, digestive discomfort, dizziness, tingling, trembling, and fear of dying. This focus suits people organising confusing experiences and considering whether further assessment would be useful.

The displayed result has two scored sections, while the symptom questions record what was experienced during an attack:

• Section 1 (0-4) assesses panic attacks; higher scores may indicate greater related symptom severity, with Low 0-1 and Elevated 2-4.
• The symptom questions record physical sensations and catastrophic fears experienced during an attack rather than forming a separate scored dimension.
• Section 2 (0-11) adds questions about the likelihood of panic disorder; a score may indicate need for further diagnostic evaluation, with Low indication 0-3 and Elevated 4-11.

Methodology and Evidence Base

Each item uses a yes-or-no response, so the questionnaire records whether a described experience or concern is present rather than asking for a graded frequency rating. Responses are organised into the two sections and represented by their displayed scores; the scoring method does not specify a separate point value for each answer. The result is therefore a concise self-report screening summary.

The methodology is consistent with the PHQ-PD screening tool. Wittkampf et al. (2011) examined the PHQ-PD in high-risk primary-care groups. The original PHQ validation study by Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams, and colleagues (1999) established the wider self-report framework, while Löwe et al. (2003) compared panic-disorder detection with other screening approaches and physician diagnosis. These studies support conceptual consistency with the PHQ-PD, not a new validation of this online version or its result bands.

Because self-report is affected by current context, recall, willingness to disclose, and interpretation of bodily sensations, the bands are screening indications; diagnosis requires broader consideration of history, impairment, medical explanations, and other conditions.