Screening tool

PHQ-9 score calculator

Nine questions about the last two weeks. The total is a screening score for depressive symptoms, not a diagnosis.

This is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. It does not replace a clinical assessment, and it does not tell you whether you have a condition. If you are in immediate danger, contact emergency services.

Published score bands

Published PHQ-9 severity bands. They describe the total, not a diagnosis.

Items and scoring follow Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JBW. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2001;16(9):606–613. Severity bands follow the published PHQ instruction (Kroenke and Spitzer): 0–4 minimal, 5–9 mild, 10–14 moderate, 15–19 moderately severe, 20–27 severe. The PHQ-9 may be reproduced without permission.
Total	Band	What the source says
0–4	Minimal	The published band for a total of 0 to 4.
5–9	Mild	The published band for a total of 5 to 9.
10–14	Moderate	The published band for a total of 10 to 14.
15–19	Moderately severe	The published band for a total of 15 to 19.
20–27	Severe	The published band for a total of 20 to 27.

Score it yourself

This is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. Your answers stay in this browser tab. They are not sent to Reach + Within and they are not stored.

Over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following?

1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things

Not at all (0)Several days (1)More than half the days (2)Nearly every day (3)

2. Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless

Not at all (0)Several days (1)More than half the days (2)Nearly every day (3)

3. Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much

Not at all (0)Several days (1)More than half the days (2)Nearly every day (3)

4. Feeling tired or having little energy

Not at all (0)Several days (1)More than half the days (2)Nearly every day (3)

5. Poor appetite or overeating

Not at all (0)Several days (1)More than half the days (2)Nearly every day (3)

6. Feeling bad about yourself, or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down

Not at all (0)Several days (1)More than half the days (2)Nearly every day (3)

7. Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television

Not at all (0)Several days (1)More than half the days (2)Nearly every day (3)

8. Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed, or the opposite: being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual

Not at all (0)Several days (1)More than half the days (2)Nearly every day (3)

9. Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself in some way

Not at all (0)Several days (1)More than half the days (2)Nearly every day (3)

Answer every question to see the score. Nothing is saved while you do.

Other screening tools

Within can assign these scales on a secure link and chart them on a client file. That product workflow is separate from this public calculator, which stores nothing. Read counselling software if you want the practice system around the score.

Questions about this calculator

Is the PHQ-9 calculator a diagnosis?

No. This is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. A score does not say that you have, or do not have, a condition. A clinician interprets it alongside the rest of the assessment.

Are my answers stored?

No. Scoring happens in your browser. Answers are not sent to Reach + Within, not written to an account, and not kept after you leave or refresh the page.

What should I do with the score?

Take it to a clinician if you are worried, or if the score sits in a higher band. If you may be at immediate risk, contact emergency services. In the UK call 999 or the Samaritans on 116 123. In South Africa call emergency services or the South African Depression and Anxiety Group on 0800 567 567.