Depression self-check (PHQ-9)
Answer nine questions about how often some problems have bothered you over the past two weeks, and see the level of depression symptoms on a 0–27 scale. The PHQ-9 is a screening tool widely used in clinics and research, not a diagnosis. Your answers are never sent to a server; they stay in your browser.
About 2 min · 9 questions · A screening, not a diagnosis · Results stay in your browser
You don’t have to carry this alone
If you ever have thoughts of hurting yourself, or things feel like too much, you can reach out at any time.
- US & Canada: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 988 Call or text, 24/7
- UK & Ireland: Samaritans 116 123 Free, 24/7
Other countries: find a helpline at findahelpline.com
If you are in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services.
Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems?
Little interest or pleasure in doing things
About the PHQ-9 depression self-check
What is the PHQ-9?
The PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) is a short, nine-item questionnaire about symptoms of depression. It was developed by Drs. Spitzer, Williams, Kroenke and colleagues (Kroenke et al., 2001), and each item matches one of the symptoms used in diagnosing depression: loss of interest, low mood, sleep, tiredness, appetite, feeling bad about yourself, concentration, slowed or restless movement, and thoughts of death or self-harm.
Clinics, health services and researchers around the world use it to screen for depression and to track change over time. It does not diagnose; it shows whether a closer look may be worthwhile.
How to answer
Think back over the past two weeks and pick how often each problem has bothered you. Your first instinct is usually the most accurate. There are no right or good answers. Your answers are not sent to a server; they stay in this browser.
Reading the score
- 0–4Minimal depression symptoms
- 5–9Mild depression symptoms
- 10–14Moderate depression symptoms
- 15–19Moderately severe depression symptoms
- 20–27Severe depression symptoms
In the original study, a cut-off of 10 picked up 88% of people with major depression and correctly ruled out 88% of people without it (Kroenke et al., 2001). It is a useful threshold, but a score alone is never a diagnosis.
Limits of this check
- It is not a diagnosis. Depression is diagnosed by a professional who looks at the whole picture in a conversation with you.
- It only covers the past two weeks. A recent big event, such as a breakup, a loss, exams or an illness, can raise the score for a while.
- Physical causes such as thyroid problems, anemia, poor sleep, medicines or alcohol can cause similar symptoms.
- If you are struggling, that matters more than a low score. You can ask for help whatever your score.
The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 were developed by Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke and colleagues, with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc. No permission is required to reproduce, translate, display or distribute them.
How to read your results
How It Works
Each of the nine items asks how often a problem bothered you over the last two weeks: “Not at all” (0), “Several days” (1), “More than half the days” (2) or “Nearly every day” (3). The nine answers add up to a total from 0 to 27, read in five bands: 0–4, 5–9, 10–14, 15–19 and 20–27.
Question 9, about thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself, is looked at on its own. If it is answered with anything other than “not at all”, mind.io puts a message with crisis lines and a recommendation to talk to a professional at the top of the result, whatever the total.
Score Interpretation
The total adds up how often each symptom came up over the past two weeks. A higher score means the symptoms were more frequent and touched more areas of life, but it does not tell you why: stress, a loss and a physical illness can all raise it.
A score of 10 is widely used in research and practice as the point where a professional assessment is worthwhile. mind.io also suggests talking to a professional from 10 up. Below 10, it is just as reasonable to reach out if you answered question 9 or everyday life has become hard to manage.
The same score can weigh differently from person to person. Even in the mild range, if work, study, home life or relationships are suffering, that difficulty is a more important signal than the number.
Retaking it after a while helps you see which way things are moving. A study involving one of the PHQ-9’s authors estimated that a change of about five points is the smallest meaningful change for an individual (Löwe et al., 2004); a difference of one or two points can simply reflect the day you had.
After your result
0–4: there are few or no depression symptoms right now. Keep up what supports you, such as sleep, regular meals, time moving your body and contact with people, and check in again if a hard stretch comes along.
5–9: there are some mild symptoms. Check in again in about two weeks to see how things move. Small, concrete steps help: a steady bedtime, daylight during the day, a short walk, a conversation with someone you trust. If symptoms continue or grow, talk to a professional.
10–14: this is the range where a professional assessment is recommended. Book a conversation with your doctor, a mental health professional or a local mental health service, whichever feels easiest. Seeing someone does not commit you to any treatment.
15 or more: the symptoms may be weighing heavily on daily life. Please see a professional soon. Depression symptoms can improve with talking therapies and treatment. If booking an appointment feels like too much, it is fine to ask someone close to help you do it.
Limits
It does not ask about periods of unusually high mood, or of needing very little sleep while feeling full of energy. If your mood swings widely, please mention that to a professional too.
Some research suggests reading the score differently for teenagers, older adults, during pregnancy and after giving birth, or alongside a long-term physical illness. In those situations, reading the result with a professional is more accurate.
When to seek help
Whatever your score, if you have thoughts of death or of hurting yourself, do not carry them alone: reach out now. The lines at the top of this page are there for you, and if you are in immediate danger, use the emergency number shown there.
Talk to a professional if symptoms last more than two weeks or keep getting worse, if they get in the way of work, study, home life or relationships, or if your total is 10 or more.
If you are not sure where to start, your doctor is a good first contact. Saying “I took this check-in and this was my score” can make the conversation easier to begin.
Guides to read alongside
- Depression symptoms: signs in mood, body and thinking, and how they varyDepression symptoms from WHO criteria and research: irritability and emptiness, sleep and pain, concentration, how signs vary, grief, and treatment.
- PHQ-9 accuracy: what a depression screening score can and can’t tell youHow accurate is the PHQ-9? What research says about the cut-off of 10, why a high score is not a diagnosis, why scores change, and how to read item 9.
- Average PHQ-9 score: how Korean adults score on the depression check-inIn a national survey, 10,759 Korean adults averaged 2.74 out of 27 on the PHQ-9 and 6.2% scored 10 or more. 2025 figures, and how to read your own score.
Frequently asked questions
Who might find the PHQ-9 check-in helpful?
It suits anyone whose mood has been low lately, or who has lost interest in things they used to enjoy, and wants to look back calmly over the past two weeks. It has 9 questions, takes about 2 minutes and is free.
Does a high PHQ-9 score mean I have depression?
No. The PHQ-9 is a screening tool that shows whether a closer look may help; depression is diagnosed by a professional in conversation with you. If your score is high, or you are struggling whatever the score, consider talking with a doctor, a mental health service or a counselor about how you have been.
Are my answers or result recorded anywhere, or visible to others?
Your answers are not sent to a server, and the result is saved only in this browser. This check-in has no share link, and its result page sends nothing to Google Analytics, not even a page view. On a shared device you can delete it from My Results.
If I stop halfway, are my answers kept?
Answers in progress are not saved, so reloading or leaving the page starts it over. If a question is hard to answer, it is fine to take a break and come back when you are ready.
What if I am having a really hard time right now?
You do not need to wait for a score. If you answer question 9 to say you have had thoughts of death or self-harm, crisis lines appear right on the question screen, and the result page lists them whatever your score. If you are in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services.