Scale Introduction
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) free online test. PHQ-9 is one of the most commonly used international depression screening tools, widely adopted for rapid depression detection due to its simplicity.
Score Interpretation
| Score | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| 0-4 | No depression (self-care recommended) |
| 5-9 | Possible mild depression (consultation with psychologist/mental health professional advised) |
| 10-14 | Possible moderate depression (professional consultation recommended) |
| 15-19 | Possible moderately severe depression (consult psychiatrist/mental health specialist) |
| 20-27 | Possible severe depression (immediate psychiatric consultation required) |
Important Notes
Scale screening primarily reflects symptom severity. According to WHO standards (ICD-10), depression diagnosis requires evaluation of four dimensions:
- Symptom criteria: Presence of typical depressive symptoms (detectable through screening scales)
- Severity criteria: Whether symptoms have caused social functional impairment (e.g., significant work/academic performance decline) or substantial personal distress (self-assessable)
- Duration criteria: Symptoms must persist continuously for ≥2 weeks (to exclude transient mood fluctuations or grief reactions)
- Exclusion criteria: Ruling out organic diseases, substance use, or bipolar disorder that may mimic depression (requires medical examination)
Per ICD-10, depression diagnosis requires meeting all four criteria simultaneously. Professional medical evaluation is recommended when depression is suspected, as depressive symptoms can be easily confused with normal mood variations.