Depression

Patient Health Questionnaire 9

Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems?

10questions

~3minutes

100%confidential

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Only you — and any clinician you choose — can see your answers.

About Depression

The Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) is the depression scale from the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). It is used for assessing and monitoring depression severity. Recognizing signs of mental health disorders is not always easy. The Patient Health Questionnaire is a diagnostic tool for mental health disorders used by health care professionals that is quick and easy for patients to complete. In the mid-1990s, Robert L. Spitzer, MD, Janet B.W. Williams, DSW, and Kurt Kroenke, MD, and colleagues at Columbia University developed the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD), a diagnostic tool containing modules on 12 different mental health disorders. During the development of PRIME-MD, Drs. Spitzer, Williams and Kroenke created the PHQ and GAD-7 screeners. The PHQ, a self-administered version of the PRIME-MD, contains the mood (PHQ-9), anxiety, alcohol, eating, and somatoform modules as covered in the original PRIME-MD. The PHQ-9, a tool specific to depression, simply scores each of the 9 DSM-IV criteria based on the mood module from the original PRIME-MD.

What this screen covers

Among other things, it asks about: Little interest or pleasure in doing things Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much Feeling tired or having little energy Poor appetite or overeating

When should you consider this assessment?

If several of these experiences have been present for two weeks or more and are affecting your daily life — work, sleep, relationships — a screening assessment is a good first step to understand what you are going through.

How the assessment works

10 short questions, about 3 minutes. Each one asks how often you have experienced something recently. You can go back and change any answer before you submit, and you will see every answer on a review screen first.

What happens after?

You will get a patient-friendly report: a severity band, a breakdown of which areas weigh heaviest, key observations from your answers, and clear next steps. If it would help to talk to someone, we will suggest therapists who work with depression.

How it works

Three steps, about 3 minutes, and nothing you cannot undo.

Verify your number

A quick one-time code, so your report has somewhere safe to live.

Answer 10 questions

One at a time, at your own pace. You can stop and come back.

Get your report

A clear result, what it means, and what you can do next.

Frequently asked questions

No. It is a screening tool to help you and a clinician understand your experiences — only a licensed professional can make a diagnosis.

Yes. Your responses are confidential and visible only to you and any clinician you choose to consult.

Most people finish in about 3 minutes. Your answers are kept as you go, so you can leave and come back.

Please reach out immediately — our 24×7 helpline and trained professionals are here for you. You do not need to finish the assessment first.

Take 3 minutes for yourself

Understanding is the first step. Your report is private and instant.

Take the PHQ-9 assessment · ₹100

Attribution & references

Attribution

Developed by Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke and colleagues, with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc.

License

The PHQ-9 is in the public domain. No permission required to reproduce, translate, display or distribute.

References

PHQ and GAD-7 screeners — official site
Udedi, M., Muula, A.S., Stewart, R.C. et al. The validity of the patient health Questionnaire-9 to screen for depression in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus in non-communicable diseases clinics in Malawi. BMC Psychiatry 19, 81 (2019).