0 of 10 answered
Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems?
- Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
- Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much
- Feeling tired or having little energy
- Poor appetite or overeating
- Feeling bad about yourself — or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down
- Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television
- 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
- Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way
- If you checked off any problems, how difficult have these problems made it for you to do your work, take care of things at home, or get along with other people?
Result
Your result and its explanation will appear here after you answer all 10 questions.
About this questionnaire
- The PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) was developed by Drs. Spitzer, Williams, Kroenke and colleagues. Doctors use it widely to screen adults for depression.
- The questions, answers and scoring on this page are the official text, without changes. The levels follow the official instruction manual.
- The questionnaire is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. Only a doctor can diagnose depression, after a full assessment.
Scoring
- Questions 1 to 9 score 0 (Not at all), 1 (Several days), 2 (More than half the days) or 3 (Nearly every day). The total is from 0 to 27. The last question is not scored.
| Score | Result | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | None-minimal | You have few or no symptoms of depression. The official manual proposes no treatment action for this range. |
| 5–9 | Mild | You have mild symptoms of depression. The official manual proposes watchful waiting and repeating the PHQ-9 at follow-up. |
| 10–14 | Moderate | You have moderate symptoms of depression. The official manual proposes a treatment plan, considering counselling, follow-up and/or medication. |
| 15–19 | Moderately severe | You have moderately severe symptoms of depression. The official manual proposes active treatment with medication and/or psychotherapy. |
| 20–27 | Severe | You have severe symptoms of depression. The official manual proposes starting medication immediately and, if daily life is severely affected or treatment does not help, a quick referral to a mental health specialist. |
Mental health helplines
If you feel distressed, cannot cope, or have thoughts of harming yourself, please call or message one of the services below. If you are in immediate danger, call 995.
National mindline 1771
National mental health helpline launched by the Ministry of Health. Call 1771, message on WhatsApp or use the webchat on mindline.sg, round the clock.
Samaritans of Singapore (SOS)
24-hour hotline and 24-hour CareText (WhatsApp) for people in distress or crisis, run by a non-profit organisation, not a government service.
- Ministry of Health: National mindline 1771 to provide round-the-clock support for mental health (18 June 2025)
- Samaritans of Singapore: Samaritans of Singapore
Helpline details last checked: 27 October 2026.
Source and copyright
- Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
- Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001;16(9):606-613.
- Developed by Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke and colleagues, with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc. No permission required to reproduce, translate, display or distribute.
- The questions and answers are the English version published on the PHQ Screeners website.
- PHQ Screeners: Select a screener (PHQ-9 and translations)
- PHQ Screeners: PHQ-9 (Traditional Chinese for Taiwan)
- PHQ Screeners: Instructions for Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) and GAD-7 Measures
Last checked: 27 October 2026.