PHQ-9 depression test
The PHQ-9 is a 9-question screener that measures symptoms of depression over the last two weeks. It is scored from 0 to 27, where 0–4 is minimal and 20–27 is severe. It takes about three minutes.
You can take it below. There is no sign-up, no email, and nothing you enter leaves your browser — the scoring happens on your own device and nothing is stored. A screener is not a diagnosis: it tells you whether something is worth raising with a professional, not what you have.
Your PHQ-9 score
0 out of 27
Before anything else
You said you have had thoughts of being better off dead, or of hurting yourself. That matters more than the number above, and it is worth talking to someone about today — not eventually.
The free, confidential helplines at the bottom of this page are open around the clock. If you are in immediate danger, call your local emergency number.
A screener is not a diagnosis. It can tell you whether something is worth raising with a professional. It cannot tell you what you have.
What PHQ-9 scores mean
| Score | Severity | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | Minimal | Your answers suggest few or no symptoms of depression over the last two weeks. |
| 5–9 | Mild | Your answers suggest mild symptoms of depression over the last two weeks. |
| 10–14 | Moderate | Your answers suggest moderate symptoms of depression over the last two weeks. |
| 15–19 | Moderately severe | Your answers suggest moderately severe symptoms of depression over the last two weeks. |
| 20–27 | Severe | Your answers suggest severe symptoms of depression over the last two weeks. |
The PHQ-9 was developed by Drs Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams and Kurt Kroenke, with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc. No permission is required to reproduce, translate, display or distribute it.
How to read your result
The number matters less than two things around it: whether it is changing, and which specific items you scored highest on. Two people with the same total can have very different problems — one not sleeping, one unable to concentrate — and those lead somewhere different.
If you take it again, take it two weeks apart and keep the dates. A score that has moved from 14 to 9 is a far more useful thing to show a doctor than either number on its own.
Common questions
What is the PHQ-9?
The PHQ-9 is a 9-question questionnaire that measures symptoms of depression over the last two weeks. It is one of the most widely used screening tools in primary care, and it is scored from 0 to 27: 0–4 is minimal, 20–27 is severe.
Can the PHQ-9 diagnose me?
No. The PHQ-9 is a screener, not a diagnostic test. A high score means the symptoms you described are worth discussing with a doctor or therapist; it does not establish that you have a condition. Only a qualified clinician can diagnose, and they consider far more than one questionnaire.
Is this test free and private?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no email required. The questionnaire runs entirely in your browser — your answers are never sent to a server, never stored, and nobody including us can see them. Closing the page discards everything.
What should I do with my score?
Write it down with the date. A single score is a snapshot; what clinicians find useful is the direction it moves over weeks. If your score is in the moderate range or above, bring it to a GP or therapist — it is a concrete starting point for a conversation that is otherwise hard to open.
How often should I retake the PHQ-9?
Every two weeks is the usual interval, because the questions ask about the last two weeks. Taking it more often than that measures the same period twice and tends to reflect your mood on the day rather than any real change.
The other check
Anxiety and low mood overlap a great deal, and people who screen positive on one often screen positive on the other. If you have not taken it, the GAD-7 covers symptoms of generalised anxiety over the last two weeks.