What Is the PHQ-9 and How Do You Interpret Your Score?
The PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) is a 9-item depression screening tool that asks how often you've been bothered by specific problems over the past 2 weeks. Each item is scored 0–3, giving a total range of 0–27. Higher totals indicate more severe depressive symptoms, and the score maps onto commonly used severity bands. It is a screening instrument, not a diagnosis — a high score signals that a fuller professional evaluation is warranted, not that you have depression.
What the PHQ-9 actually measures
The PHQ-9 is built on the nine diagnostic criteria for a major depressive episode, which is why it has nine items rather than an arbitrary number. It assesses symptoms over the past 2 weeks, the same recall window used in clinical diagnostic criteria. That window matters: it captures a current episode rather than a bad afternoon, and it's why the tool is usually repeated over time rather than treated as a one-off verdict.
The nine items cover the core symptom domains of depression, including low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, sleep problems, fatigue, appetite or weight change, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, difficulty concentrating, psychomotor changes (moving or speaking noticeably slowly, or being restless), and thoughts of death or self-harm.
The response scale and how to total your score
Each of the nine items uses the same 0–3 frequency scale:
| Response | Score |
|---|---|
| Not at all | 0 |
| Several days | 1 |
| More than half the days | 2 |
| Nearly every day | 3 |
Add the nine item scores together for a total between 0 and 27. The tool is designed to be self-administered and typically takes about 5 minutes — One Mental Hub lists the PHQ-9 as a ~5 minute assessment with a 0–27 score range, consistent with standard clinical use.
Interpreting your score: severity bands
The total score is usually read against severity cutoffs. The widely used bands are:
| Total score | Severity |
|---|---|
| 0–4 | Minimal or none |
| 5–9 | Mild |
| 10–14 | Moderate |
| 15–19 | Moderately severe |
| 20–27 | Severe |
A commonly cited threshold is 10, above which further diagnostic assessment is generally recommended. The bands are a gradient, not a set of hard walls — a score of 9 and a score of 10 are close in practice, but crossing 10 is the point at which clinicians typically take a closer look.
What each band suggests
- Minimal (0–4): Little evidence of depressive symptoms. No action needed beyond routine check-ins.
- Mild (5–9): Some symptoms present. Worth monitoring, and worth mentioning at a routine appointment if they persist.
- Moderate (10–14): Symptoms are likely affecting daily life. This is the range where seeking a professional opinion is reasonable.
- Moderately severe (15–19): Substantial symptom burden. Professional assessment and discussion of treatment options are indicated.
- Severe (20–27): Marked symptoms. Prompt professional evaluation is appropriate.
When to seek professional help
Beyond the total score, two things should prompt you to act regardless of the number:
- Item 9 (thoughts of death or self-harm). Any endorsement above "not at all" on this item deserves attention, even if the total score is low. If you are in immediate danger, contact emergency services or a crisis line rather than relying on a screening score.
- Functional impairment. A score tells you about symptom intensity, not how much your life is disrupted. Tools like the WSAS (Work and Social Adjustment Scale) measure that separately — One Mental Hub pairs the PHQ-9 with the WSAS for exactly this reason.
If your score sits in the moderate range or above, or if symptoms are interfering with work, relationships, or self-care, a professional evaluation is the appropriate next step. A screening result can be a useful thing to bring to that appointment.
Key limitations to keep in mind
- It is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. Only a qualified professional can diagnose depression after a full evaluation.
- It measures severity, not cause. A high score doesn't tell you why you feel this way.
- It is self-report. Accuracy depends on honest answers, and it can be influenced by how you're feeling on the day you take it.
- It is not a substitute for clinical judgment. Physical conditions, medication side effects, and other factors can produce similar symptoms.
- A single score is a snapshot. Trends over repeated screenings are often more informative than any one result.
If you use a platform like One Mental Hub, the PHQ-9 result is one input among several (GAD-7, WSAS, and others), and the site frames its overall wellness indicator as "a personal wellness indicator — not a diagnosis." That framing is the right way to read any PHQ-9 score: useful signal, not a verdict.