🧠 PHQ-4 (Depression + Anxiety Screen)
UseWhen to use: ultra-brief mental-health case-finding in busy clinics/ED.
StrataPositive subscales → PHQ-9 / GAD-7; assess suicidality when depression endorsed.
LimitsWhen not to use: replacing a full psychiatric interview. · Pitfall: ignoring safety questions after positive depression items. · Cultural/language adaptation may be needed.
SourceKroenke K et al. Psychosomatics 2009 (PHQ-4)
This-shift next steps
After scoring: open the scene pack, peer scores, and the matching pathway. Local reference — no HIS write.
Paste the link in Slack, Teams, X, or LinkedIn — the preview image comes from this page’s Open Graph card.
Methodology · worked example, guidelines & full notes
0–12 total.
When to use
When to use: ultra-brief mental-health case-finding in busy clinics/ED.
How it works
PHQ-2 + GAD-2 items; subscales ≥3 positive; total bands 0–2/3–5/6–8/9–12.
Key points
- 0–12 total.
- Two subscales.
- Next: PHQ-9 / GAD-7.
References
- Kroenke K et al. Psychosomatics 2009 (PHQ-4)
Worked calculation
The values below come from this tool's own example placeholders and are computed server-side with the formula shown on this page, so the arithmetic can be checked quickly. It demonstrates how to substitute values only — it is not clinical advice and not a real case.
| Little interest or pleasure in doing things (2 weeks) | Several days (1) |
|---|---|
| Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless (2 weeks) | Several days (1) |
| Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge (2 weeks) | Several days (1) |
| Not being able to stop or control worrying (2 weeks) | Several days (1) |
→PHQ-44/12
- Depression subscale (PHQ-2)：2 /6
- Anxiety subscale (GAD-2)：2 /6
- Total band：Mild
| Little interest or pleasure in doing things (2 weeks) | Not at all (0) |
|---|---|
| Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless (2 weeks) | Not at all (0) |
| Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge (2 weeks) | Not at all (0) |
| Not being able to stop or control worrying (2 weeks) | Not at all (0) |
→PHQ-40/12
- Depression subscale (PHQ-2)：0 /6
- Anxiety subscale (GAD-2)：0 /6
- Total band：Normal range
Verification & sources · governance
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- Does PHQ-4 (Depression + Anxiety Screen) upload patient data? Where is it calculated?
- Calculation runs locally in the browser; inputs and results are not uploaded. For licensed clinicians only; interpret with history, investigations and local protocols — not a diagnosis or prescription.
- How is PHQ-4 (Depression + Anxiety Screen) calculated in practice? Can you show a worked example?
- Inputs: Little interest or pleasure in doing things (2 weeks) Several days (1), Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless (2 weeks) Several days (1), Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge (2 weeks) Several days (1), Not being able to stop or control worrying (2 weeks) Several days (1) → Result: PHQ-4 4 /12（Depression subscale (PHQ-2): 2 /6, Anxiety subscale (GAD-2): 2 /6, Total band: Mild） Inputs: Little interest or pleasure in doing things (2 weeks) Not at all (0), Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless (2 weeks) Not at all (0), Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge (2 weeks) Not at all (0), Not being able to stop or control worrying (2 weeks) Not at all (0) → Result: PHQ-4 0 /12（Depression subscale (PHQ-2): 0 /6, Anxiety subscale (GAD-2): 0 /6, Total band: Normal range）