Holsman Physical Therapy & Wellness P.C.
Patient Questionnaire
Holsman Physical Therapy & Wellness · NJ & NYC clinics + in-home therapy
holsmanwellness.com · 1-855-465-7626
📍 724 Ridge Road, Lyndhurst, NJ 📞 1-855-465-7626 ⏰ Mon–Fri: 8 AM – 6 PM
Facebook Instagram X/Twitter
Home› Physical Therapy› Free Self-Checks› Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)

PHQ-9 Depression Questionnaire

9 questions about the last 2 weeks, scored 0 to 27. A screening tool, not a diagnosis.

Your answers stay on your device. This tool runs only in your web browser. Nothing you enter is sent to us, saved or shared. Close the page and it’s gone.

Reviewed by Dr. Richard Holsman, PT, DPT, NCS · Last reviewed November 14, 2026 · Screening questionnaire

The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) asks how often 9 common symptoms of depression have bothered you over the last 2 weeks. Doctors, therapists and other clinicians use it to screen for depression and to track how symptoms change. It takes 2 to 3 minutes. It is a screening tool, not a diagnosis.

⚠️ If you are in crisis

If you are thinking about hurting yourself or ending your life, call or text 988 (the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, free, 24/7) or chat at 988lifeline.org. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. This questionnaire can’t help in an emergency.

Instructions

Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems? Choose one answer for each question.

1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things
2. Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
3. Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much
4. Feeling tired or having little energy
5. Poor appetite or overeating
6. Feeling bad about yourself—or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down
7. Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television
8. Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed? Or the opposite—being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual
9. Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way
If you checked off any problems, how difficult have these problems made it for you to do your work, take care of things at home, or get along with other people?

This is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnosis. Only a doctor or licensed mental health professional can diagnose depression, after talking with you and ruling out other causes such as medical conditions or medicines. Whatever your score, if you are worried about your mood, talk with your doctor.

For patients and families

Low mood is common after an injury, a stroke, a brain injury or a long illness, and it can make recovery harder. Bring your result to your doctor or therapist so it can be part of your care. If you or a family member would like help from a physical therapist, request an appointment with Holsman Physical Therapy or call 1-855-465-7626.

How it is scored

  • Each of the 9 questions scores 0 (not at all), 1 (several days), 2 (more than half the days) or 3 (nearly every day). The total runs from 0 to 27.
  • The last question (how difficult these problems have made work, home life or getting along with people) is not added to the score. It records how much the symptoms get in the way.
  • Any answer other than “Not at all” on question 9 needs prompt follow-up by a clinician, whatever the total.

What the score means

PHQ-9 totalDepression symptom severity
0–4None to minimal
5–9Mild
10–14Moderate
15–19Moderately severe
20–27Severe
  • Screening cut-off: in the original validation study, a score of 10 or more had a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 88% for major depression (Kroenke et al., 2001).
  • Reliability: internal consistency was high (Cronbach’s alpha 0.89 in primary care and 0.86 in obstetrics-gynecology clinics), and scores on the form and a phone interview 48 hours later correlated at 0.84 (Kroenke et al., 2001).
  • Change over time: in older adults treated for depression, the minimal clinically important difference for an individual was estimated at 5 points (Löwe et al., 2004).

For clinicians: brain injury and other neurologic conditions can cause fatigue, sleep, appetite and concentration problems on their own, so a high score calls for a full clinical assessment rather than an automatic label. Related screen for older adults: the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15).

Sources. Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JBW. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001;16(9):606-613. Pfizer PHQ Screeners, Instructions for Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) and GAD-7 Measures (severity bands, Table 4). Löwe B, Unützer J, Callahan CM, Perkins AJ, Kroenke K. Monitoring depression treatment outcomes with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Med Care. 2004;42(12):1194-1201. It is one of the measures reviewed in the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy (ANPT) TBI EDGE outcome measure recommendations; see neuropt.org for the task force’s recommendations.

Permissions. The PHQ-9 was developed by Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke and colleagues, with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc. Per the PHQ Screeners site, the PHQ measures are in the public domain and no permission is required to reproduce, translate, display or distribute them.

Clinically reviewed by Dr. Richard Holsman, PT, DPT, NCS. Last reviewed: November 14, 2026. Holsman Physical Therapy is not affiliated with these authors, organizations or journals, and they do not endorse this website.

Common Questions

What is the PHQ-9?

The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 is a 9-question form about how often common symptoms of depression have bothered you in the last 2 weeks. It was developed by Drs. Spitzer, Williams, Kroenke and colleagues and is widely used in medical offices to screen for depression and track symptoms.

How is the PHQ-9 scored?

Each question scores 0 to 3, for a total of 0 to 27. Scores of 5, 10, 15 and 20 mark the start of the mild, moderate, moderately severe and severe ranges. The final question about how difficult the problems make daily life is not added to the score.

Does a high score mean I have depression?

No. The PHQ-9 is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. A doctor or licensed mental health professional needs to talk with you to make a diagnosis and rule out other causes. A score of 10 or more is a reason to follow up with your doctor.

What if I answered yes to question 9?

Question 9 asks about thoughts of being better off dead or of hurting yourself. Any answer other than not at all needs prompt follow-up. If you are thinking about hurting yourself, call or text 988 (the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) now, or call 911 if you are in immediate danger.

Is my information saved?

No. Everything runs in your web browser. Nothing is sent to us or stored.

Recovering From an Injury or Illness?

Physical therapists at clinics across North Jersey, the Bronx and Brooklyn, plus in-home visits.

📞 Call 1-855-465-7626
Printed from holsmanwellness.com/tools/phq-9-depression-questionnaire/ · Holsman Physical Therapy & Wellness · Questionnaire, not a diagnosis.