🧠 PHQ-9 Depression Scale
UseWhen to use: screening and monitoring depressive symptoms in appropriate clinical settings.
StrataTotals guide severity and follow-up intensity; diagnosis still requires clinical interview.
LimitsWhen not to use: as the sole diagnostic test, or without a safety pla… · Pitfall: ignoring medical mimics and bipolar screening. · Any item-9 positivity → immediate safety assessment.
Source《中国抑郁障碍防治指南》 / mental-health pathways on zh pages
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
Public-domain instrument (Kroenke).
When to use
When to use: screening and monitoring depressive symptoms in appropriate clinical settings.
How it works
Nine items scored 0–3; total 0–27. Bands: 0–4 none–minimal, 5–9 mild, 10–14 moderate, 15–19 moderately severe, 20–27 severe.
Key points
- Public-domain instrument (Kroenke).
- Item 9 overrides numeric band for urgency.
- Next: PHQ-2 screen upstream; safety pathway; treatment monitoring.
References
- [Guideline / primary source]《中国抑郁障碍防治指南》 / mental-health pathways on zh pages
- Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. J Gen Intern Med 2001 (PHQ-9)
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 | Several days (1) |
|---|---|
| Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless | Several days (1) |
| Trouble falling/staying asleep, or sleeping too much | Several days (1) |
| Feeling tired or having little energy | Several days (1) |
| Poor appetite or overeating | Several days (1) |
| Feeling bad about yourself — or that you are a failure | Several days (1) |
| Trouble concentrating on things | Several days (1) |
| Moving or speaking slowly / being fidgety or restless | Several days (1) |
| Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself | Several days (1) |
→PHQ-99/27
- Severity band：Mild (5–9)
- Item 9 (self-harm thoughts)：Positive — perform safety assessment now
| Little interest or pleasure in doing things | Not at all (0) |
|---|---|
| Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless | Not at all (0) |
| Trouble falling/staying asleep, or sleeping too much | Not at all (0) |
| Feeling tired or having little energy | Not at all (0) |
| Poor appetite or overeating | Not at all (0) |
| Feeling bad about yourself — or that you are a failure | Not at all (0) |
| Trouble concentrating on things | Not at all (0) |
| Moving or speaking slowly / being fidgety or restless | Not at all (0) |
| Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself | Not at all (0) |
→PHQ-90/27
- Severity band：None–minimal (0–4)
- Item 9 (self-harm thoughts)：0 — still screen clinically if concern
Verification & sources · governance
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- Does PHQ-9 Depression Scale 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-9 Depression Scale calculated in practice? Can you show a worked example?
- Inputs: Little interest or pleasure in doing things Several days (1), Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless Several days (1), Trouble falling/staying asleep, or sleeping too much Several days (1), Feeling tired or having little energy Several days (1), Poor appetite or overeating Several days (1), Feeling bad about yourself — or that you are a failure Several days (1), Trouble concentrating on things Several days (1), Moving or speaking slowly / being fidgety or restless Several days (1)… → Result: PHQ-9 9 /27（Severity band: Mild (5–9), Item 9 (self-harm thoughts): Positive — perform safety assessment now） Inputs: Little interest or pleasure in doing things Not at all (0), Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless Not at all (0), Trouble falling/staying asleep, or sleeping too much Not at all (0), Feeling tired or having little energy Not at all (0), Poor appetite or overeating Not at all (0), Feeling bad about yourself — or that you are a failure Not at all (0), Trouble concentrating on things Not at all (0), Moving or speaking slowly / being fidgety or restless Not at all (0)… → Result: PHQ-9 0 /27（Severity band: None–minimal (0–4), Item 9 (self-harm thoughts): 0 — still screen clinically if concern）