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Depression self-check

How have you been feeling over the past two weeks?

This is the PHQ-9, a short, widely used set of questions about how you’ve been feeling over the past two weeks. It takes about a minute and can help you put words to what you’re experiencing.

A few things to know first

This is an educational self-check — not a diagnosis and not a substitute for an evaluation by a licensed professional. Your answers stay on your device: nothing here is saved, sent, or tracked.

If you’re in crisis or having thoughts of harming yourself, you don’t have to wait. Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time. In an emergency, call 911.

Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems?

1.Little interest or pleasure in doing things
2.Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
3.Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much
4.Feeling tired or having little energy
5.Poor appetite or overeating
6.Feeling bad about yourself — or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down
7.Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television
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
9.Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way

One more, just for context (this one isn’t part of the score)

If you checked off any problems, how difficult have they made it to do your work, take care of things at home, or get along with other people?

The PHQ-9 was developed by Drs. Kurt Kroenke, Robert L. Spitzer, and Janet B.W. Williams, with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc. It is in the public domain and free to use without charge. Reference: Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JBW. The PHQ-9: Validity of a Brief Depression Severity Measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001;16(9):606–613.

Reviewed by Khaled Hamed, PMHNP-C. This tool offers no guaranteed outcome; it’s a starting point for a conversation with a clinician.