Calculator · Mental health

PHQ-9 (depression)

Depression severity over the last 2 weeks (9 items, 0–27).

What it is for

New depression diagnosis, monitoring response. NICE NG222 stepped care.

Use the working calculator

The working PHQ-9 (depression) calculator is on our calculators page. It is free and needs no account. Enter the values and it shows the result with the reading that goes with it.

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What you enter

The calculator asks for 9 items.

Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by:

  • 1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things
  • 2. Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
  • 3. Trouble falling/staying asleep, or sleeping too much
  • 4. Feeling tired or having little energy
  • 5. Poor appetite or overeating
  • 6. Feeling bad about yourself — failure or letting family down
  • 7. Trouble concentrating
  • 8. Moving / speaking slowly, or being fidgety / restless
  • 9. Thoughts you would be better off dead or hurting yourself

How the result is read

The result is shown as PHQ-9, out of a maximum of 27.

The calculator reads each total as follows. Where a single answer changes the reading (for example sex, age or one extreme value), the working calculator says so.

TotalBandWhat the calculator says
0 to 4MinimalNo depression treatment. Reassess if symptoms emerge.
5 to 9MildActive monitoring; low-intensity psychological intervention (NICE NG222). Self-help, sleep hygiene, behavioural activation.
10 to 14ModerateModerate band. Treatment choice is set out in the depression protocol and NICE NG222.
15 to 19Moderately severeAntidepressant + high-intensity psychological intervention. Same-week review; consider MH team referral.
20 to 27SevereUrgent intervention — antidepressant + CMHT / urgent psychiatric review. Same-day MH review if active risk.

Sources

These are the sources the calculator cites. Check the current version before relying on a threshold.

Related

GAD-7 (anxiety)Generalised anxiety severity over the last 2 weeks (7 items, 0–21).AUDIT-C (alcohol screen)Brief alcohol-use screen (3 items, 0–12).AUDIT (full, 10-item)Detailed alcohol-use disorder screen (0–40).PHQ-2 (depression screen)Two-item depression case-finding (0–6).GAD-2 (anxiety screen)Two-item anxiety case-finding (0–6).All calculators60 clinical scores and tools

For qualified clinicians. A score supports a clinical decision and does not make it: check the inputs, read the cited source, and use the tools in your clinical system for patient care where one is provided.