PHQ-9 Depression Score Calculator

Calculate your PHQ-9 depression score and determine severity.

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Little interest or pleasure in doing things

Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless

Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping too much

Feeling tired or having little energy

Poor appetite or overeating

Feeling bad about yourself—worthless or that you are a failure

Trouble concentrating, making decisions, or remembering things

Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could notice? Or being so restless that you are unable to sit still

Thoughts of death or suicide, without a specific plan

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How PHQ-9 is calculated

The PHQ-9 is a nine-item depression screening questionnaire that asks how often you have been bothered by specific symptoms over the past two weeks.

Each item is scored from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day), so the total score ranges from 0 to 27.

The calculator adds up your responses and maps the sum to a severity band: 1-4 is minimal, 5-9 is mild, 10-14 is moderate, 15-19 is moderately severe, and 20-27 is severe depression.

A score of 10 or higher is the threshold typically used by clinicians to indicate that further evaluation for major depressive disorder may be warranted.

When to use PHQ-9 calculator

This calculator is most useful when you have noticed a persistent shift in mood, energy, sleep, appetite, or motivation over the last couple of weeks and want a structured way to think about it.

People often use the PHQ-9 before a doctor's visit to articulate what they have been feeling, to track changes after starting therapy or medication, or simply to check in on themselves during a stressful period.

It is also a reasonable starting point if you suspect a friend or family member may be struggling and want to understand what clinicians ask.

If your score is moderate or higher, the next step is talking to a licensed provider.

Common mistakes with PHQ-9

The most common mistake is answering based on how you generally feel rather than the specific two-week window the PHQ-9 asks about, which can inflate or deflate the score.

Another pitfall is rushing through the items; symptoms like fatigue or poor appetite can have non-depression causes such as a medical condition or a new medication, so consider context before scoring high.

People also tend to skip or downplay question nine about thoughts of death or self-harm — answer it honestly, because that single item is what clinicians weigh most heavily.

Finally, do not treat the result as a diagnosis.

The PHQ-9 is a screening instrument, not a substitute for an evaluation by a qualified professional.

PHQ-9 vs GAD-7

The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 are companion screeners developed by the same team and are often given together in primary care, but they measure different things.

The PHQ-9 targets the core symptoms of depression — low mood, loss of interest, sleep and appetite changes, fatigue, guilt, concentration problems, and thoughts of self-harm.

The GAD-7 focuses on generalized anxiety: persistent worry, restlessness, irritability, trouble relaxing, and feeling on edge.

Because depression and anxiety frequently co-occur, scoring high on one does not rule out the other, and many clinicians use both to get a fuller picture.

If you suspect both mood and worry are issues, completing each screener separately gives you more useful information to share with a provider.