The PHQ-9 is a nine-question questionnaire widely used in clinics to gauge how often symptoms linked to depression, such as low mood, poor sleep, low energy and difficulty concentrating, have affected someone over the last two weeks.
It takes about three minutes. Each answer scores from 0 to 3, giving a total between 0 and 27. The total suggests a level of symptoms; it cannot diagnose depression. Only a conversation with a qualified professional can do that.
Screening, not a diagnosis. A score can point to whether it may help to talk to a professional. It cannot tell you what you have, and a low score does not mean you should ignore how you feel.
Your result
0 out of 27
This is a screening result, not a diagnosis. Only a qualified professional who talks with you can say what it means for you. Your answers have not been sent anywhere.
How the score works
Each answer scores 0 (“Not at all”), 1 (“Several days”), 2 (“More than half the days”), 3 (“Nearly every day”). The total ranges from 0 to 27. The bands below are the ones published by the questionnaire’s authors.
| Total | Band |
|---|---|
| 0–4 | Minimal symptoms |
| 5–9 | Mild symptoms |
| 10–14 | Moderate symptoms |
| 15–19 | Moderately severe symptoms |
| 20–27 | Severe symptoms |
When to get help
Consider speaking to a doctor or mental health professional if your score is 10 or more, if low mood has lasted more than two weeks, or if it is making daily life, work or relationships hard.
If you have had any thoughts of being better off dead or of hurting yourself, please talk to someone now, whatever your total score. In Thailand you can call the Department of Mental Health hotline on 1323, or 1669 in an emergency.
Finding support in Thailand
Our guide to mental health support in Thailand covers how to find a psychiatrist, psychologist or counsellor, what to ask before booking, and what to expect at a first appointment.
Sources
- PHQ Screeners: select a screener (Pfizer)
- Instruction manual for the PHQ and GAD-7 measures (phqscreeners.com)
- Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public Health: 1323 mental health hotline
- National Institute for Emergency Medicine: 1669 emergency medical service
Item wording and score bands follow the official English form and instruction manual. Developed by Drs Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke and colleagues, with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc. No permission is required to reproduce, translate, display or distribute it. Last reviewed 23 October 2026.