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Mental health · Clinical screener

PHQ-9 Depression Screening Tool

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The PHQ-9 is a validated 9-item self-report tool for the severity of depressive symptoms, based directly on the DSM criteria for major depressive disorder. Scores range from 0 to 27, with severity bands from minimal to severe.

Scoring and severity bands

Each item is scored 0 ("not at all") to 3 ("nearly every day") over the past two weeks.

ScoreSeverityClinical action
0-4MinimalMonitor
5-9MildWatchful waiting
10-14ModerateTreatment plan
15-19Moderately severeActive treatment
20-27SevereImmediate evaluation

When to administer it

Use the PHQ-9 at intake for a baseline, longitudinally to track response to treatment, and opportunistically whenever depression is suspected. Question 9 asks about thoughts of self-harm; any non-zero response warrants immediate follow-up.

Licensing

The PHQ-9 is free to use, copy, distribute, and translate without permission. It is in the public domain, and no license fee is required for clinical or research use.

Frequently asked

Patient Health Questionnaire-9 questions, answered.

Is the PHQ-9 free to use?

Yes. The PHQ-9 is in the public domain. It can be reproduced and translated without permission and used in clinical care, research, or quality improvement at no cost.

How do you score the PHQ-9?

Sum the responses across all nine items (each 0 to 3), for a total of 0 to 27. Severity bands are 0-4 minimal, 5-9 mild, 10-14 moderate, 15-19 moderately severe, and 20-27 severe. Zentake scores and bands it automatically on submit.

How does Zentake handle a high-risk item 9 response?

Any non-zero score on Question 9 (thoughts of self-harm) can trigger a conditional escalation, notifying a designated on-call clinician before the appointment.

Does the score write to my EHR?

Yes. Zentake pushes the total score, severity band, and item responses directly into supported EHRs, with no copy-paste or PDF attachment.

Often used with

Related templates.

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In Zentake

Send the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 in three clicks.

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