PHQ-9 Explained: What Your Depression Screening Score Means

Your doctor slid a short questionnaire across the desk, you ticked some boxes, and came away with a number. Or you took a depression test online and got a score you didn't quite know how to read. That questionnaire was almost certainly the PHQ-9 — and this guide explains exactly what it measures, what each score band means, and, just as importantly, what a number can't tell you.

What is the PHQ-9?

The PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) is a short, nine-question screening tool for depression. It was validated in 2001 by Kroenke, Spitzer, and Williams, and it's one of the most widely used depression screeners in the world — the one most doctors' offices reach for.

Each of its nine questions maps directly onto one of the nine symptoms of depression used in clinical criteria (things like low mood, loss of interest, sleep and appetite changes, low energy, and concentration). It's brief, free to use, and quick to score — which is exactly why it's everywhere in primary care.

How the PHQ-9 is scored

For each of the nine items, you rate how often it's bothered you over the last two weeks:

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

Add up all nine and you get a total between 0 and 27. Higher means more symptoms, more often.

What each score band means

The original study defined these standard severity bands:

These bands are a guide to how much your symptoms are weighing on you — not a label stamped on you.

The number that matters most: 10

If there's one threshold to know, it's 10. In the original research, a PHQ-9 score of 10 or above correctly identified major depression about 88% of the time (with the same 88% accuracy at ruling it out) — which is why 10 is the common cutoff that suggests a closer look is warranted. Scores below 10 rarely turn out to be major depression, while scores of 15 and above usually point to it.

So a score at or above 10 isn't a diagnosis — it's a clear signal that it's worth talking to a professional.

What a PHQ-9 score can't tell you

This is the part that matters most, and it's why we frame every screener the way we do:

• It's a screen, not a diagnosis. No questionnaire can diagnose depression. Only a qualified clinician can, by looking at your full history and circumstances.
• It's a snapshot. It captures the last two weeks. A hard fortnight can lift your score; it doesn't define you.
• It doesn't tell you why. Low mood can come from many directions — grief, stress, a physical health issue, burnout, or something like a nervous system stuck in overdrive. Depressive symptoms can also overlap with other things, such as the internalized pain of quiet BPD. The PHQ-9 measures symptoms, not their source.
• A low score doesn't invalidate your feelings. If you're struggling but score low, that's still worth taking seriously.

A note on question 9 (please read)

The ninth question asks about thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself. It's there for an important reason: safety. If you answered anything other than "not at all" to that question — regardless of your total score — please reach out to a doctor, therapist, or crisis line today. You deserve support, and it's available right now.

What to do with your score

• Treat it as information, not a verdict. It's a starting point for a conversation, not the final word.
• Bring it to a professional. A GP or mental-health professional can interpret it in context and talk through next steps. Depression is highly treatable.
• Retake it over time. Because it's a snapshot, repeating it every few weeks is a genuinely useful way to see whether things are getting better, worse, or holding steady — clinicians use it exactly this way to track progress.

When to seek help

Reach out to a doctor or mental-health professional if:

• your score is 10 or above, or has been climbing;
• low mood or loss of interest has lasted more than two weeks; or
• your daily life — work, sleep, relationships — is being affected.

And, again: if you have any thoughts of harming yourself, contact your local emergency services or a crisis line right away.

Understanding your score takes it from a mysterious number to a useful piece of information — one you can act on. You can take the PHQ-9 free and privately below, and your answers are scored in your browser and never saved.