Nine symptom ratings over the previous two weeks are added to produce a PHQ-9 total, which ranges from 0 to 27. Each answer receives a value from 0 to 3, producing a total between 0 and 27 that indicates reported symptom severity.
This explanation covers calculation, standard score ranges, diagnostic limits, retesting, and next steps for anyone considering how to interpret a result or seek appropriate support.
The Purpose of the PHQ-9
Nine brief questions turn symptoms that may be difficult to describe into a record you can discuss. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 covers low mood, little interest, sleep problems, fatigue, appetite changes, concentration difficulties, feelings of worthlessness, and thoughts of dying or self-harm.
Each item refers to the previous two weeks. That defined period helps distinguish recent symptoms from a long-standing condition, although your result still requires context about duration, functioning, safety, and medical history.
Your answers reflect how frequently you experienced each symptom, not how severe you believe it should be. The resulting screening information can organize a conversation about symptoms that affect sleep, work, school, caregiving, or relationships.
How the PHQ-9 Total Is Calculated
The calculation assigns one value to each of the nine responses. Add all nine values to determine your PHQ-9 total, which can range from 0 to 27.
| Frequency during the previous two weeks | Assigned value |
|---|---|
| Not at all | 0 |
| Several days | 1 |
| More than half the days | 2 |
| Nearly every day | 3 |
For example, your responses might be 1 for little interest, 2 for low mood, 0 for sleep trouble, and 3 for fatigue. If the remaining five values are 1, 2, 1, 0, and 2, your total is 1 + 2 + 0 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 0 + 2 = 12.
A total of 12 falls within the moderate category, but the number does not confirm a diagnosis. It summarizes the symptom burden you reported during two weeks, so your ability to work, care for family members, manage basic responsibilities, and remain safe still matters.
Answer each item accurately rather than trying to produce a higher or lower result. Your responses make the screening exercise more useful when you review the total, individual items, and changes in daily life with a healthcare professional.
Interpreting the PHQ-9 Score Ranges
Five standard categories divide the possible total from 0 through 27. These bands describe depression severity based on reported symptoms, but they do not establish fixed diagnostic labels.
| PHQ-9 total | Standard range | Screening meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | Minimal | Few or no symptoms were reported. |
| 5–9 | Mild | Some symptoms were reported, with limited apparent severity. |
| 10–14 | Moderate | The reported symptom burden deserves attention and follow-up. |
| 15–19 | Moderately severe | Symptoms appear substantial and may affect daily life. |
| 20–27 | Severe | A large number of symptoms were reported across the two weeks. |
Your PHQ-9 score interpretation depends on more than the numerical category. A total of 8 may affect you differently if you cannot work, care for family members, concentrate, or stay safe than if you have few changes in daily life.
Cutoff values function as screening aids rather than exact dividing lines. A lower total does not necessarily mean you are fine, and a higher total does not confirm clinical depression or another medical condition.
Two totals in the same band can still feel different because symptoms vary in duration, intensity, and effect. Your support at home, sleep loss, physical health, responsibilities, and access to care can all shape the consequences you experience.
What the Questionnaire Can and Cannot Show
The result records symptom frequency but does not identify a cause. Similar answers may occur with major depressive disorder, grief, trauma, anxiety, chronic pain, sleep disruption, substance use, thyroid problems, or a difficult life event.
Your self-report can also introduce uncertainty. You may forget how frequently a symptom occurred, interpret an item differently, or leave one blank; those issues matter when the total conflicts with your experience.
Use a PHQ-9 result as a conversation starter, not a verdict about your mental health.
Diagnosing a condition requires a broader assessment than nine questions can provide. A clinician may consider criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, or DSM-5, alongside your history, functioning, and safety.
Your account remains central because the questionnaire cannot measure every form of distress. Describing effects on your days, relationships, work, and physical health gives a healthcare professional information needed to separate a screening signal from a complete clinical understanding.
That clinical context helps you turn a screening signal into a practical plan without treating the score as a diagnosis.
Turning a Result Into a Practical Response
A total of 12, for example, becomes more useful when you record the date and explain what changed around it. Note which answers felt hardest and whether symptoms affected sleep, school, work, relationships, caregiving, or safety.
Your next step depends on both the screening result and the circumstances surrounding it. Use this checklist before scheduling follow-up:
- Record the date. Save the questionnaire date so any later comparison has a clear time point.
- Keep the total. Remember your score and the exact response choices behind it.
- Track daily function. Document whether routine tasks became harder and how long the change lasted.
- Record related changes. Note shifts in sleep, appetite, energy, concentration, and relationships.
- Bring your answers. Review individual responses with a healthcare professional rather than reporting only the total.
- Address concerns promptly. Discuss persistent symptoms, worsening functioning, frightening experiences, or concerns about safety.
You do not need to wait for a high total before asking for help. A lower score with prolonged sadness, loss of interest, major functional impairment, or an inability to manage daily responsibilities still deserves attention.
Your new result can give a healthcare professional a concrete starting point. You might say, “My total was 12,” and then identify which answers changed, when symptoms began, and what happened afterward.
Recording the score and the circumstances around it makes a repeat PHQ-9 more useful for judging whether symptoms are changing.
Tracking Repeat Results Responsibly
Repeated totals can reveal a pattern, but they do not measure your worth, identity, or future health. A change from 18 to 6 could reflect improvement, temporary circumstances, or a difference in how you answered the same questions.
A change from 4 to 12 may indicate increased symptoms, a stressful period, or a different interpretation of your experiences. Your individual answers and functioning help you decide whether the direction of change matters in daily life.
Compare trends over time rather than one isolated total, and bring any worsening or safety concern to a qualified healthcare professional.
There is no single retesting interval that fits every situation. The PHQ-9 is commonly repeated when symptoms are being monitored or when a clinician wants a consistent comparison, so ask your healthcare professional when another completion is useful for you.
A private appointment can help you discuss the total, duration, functioning, safety, medical history, and other possible explanations. A trained professional can then recommend monitoring, formal assessment, treatment, or urgent assistance.
The National Institute of Mental Health offers information about depression and care resources. Your own clinician can identify which support fits your circumstances, including whether you need evaluation, treatment, or immediate help.
Key Takeaways
Nine self-reported symptom ratings, covering the previous two weeks, are combined into a PHQ-9 total ranging from 0 to 27. Higher totals generally indicate more reported symptoms, but your score does not diagnose you or explain the cause of your experience.
Your individual responses matter alongside the total. Record the date, track functioning, and discuss worsening symptoms or safety concerns with a qualified healthcare professional rather than relying on one number alone.
FAQ
What is a PHQ-9 score?
Adding responses to nine questions about depressive symptoms from the past two weeks yields a PHQ-9 total. Each answer receives a value from 0 to 3, so your PHQ-9 total can range from 0 to 27. The result indicates reported symptom severity but does not diagnose depression.
What does the PHQ-9 measure?
The PHQ-9 measures the reported frequency of nine depressive symptoms during the previous two weeks. It summarizes symptoms involving mood, interest, sleep, energy, appetite, concentration, self-worth, daily functioning, and safety-related thoughts. Your total provides screening information but does not explain the cause of those symptoms.
How is a PHQ-9 score calculated?
Add the value assigned to each of the nine answers. The usual response values are 0 for not at all, 1 for several days, 2 for more than half the days, and 3 for nearly every day. Your nine values create a possible total from 0 to 27.
What are the standard PHQ-9 score ranges?
The common ranges are 0–4 for minimal symptoms, 5–9 for mild symptoms, 10–14 for moderate symptoms, 15–19 for moderately severe symptoms, and 20–27 for severe symptoms. These are screening categories, so your history, circumstances, functioning, and safety still require professional interpretation.
How do I interpret my PHQ-9 score?
Your total places your reported symptoms in a severity range from minimal to severe. Interpret it alongside your individual answers, symptom duration, daily functioning, medical history, and current safety. A higher total deserves closer discussion, while a lower total does not cancel out significant distress in daily life.
Can a PHQ-9 score diagnose depression?
A total from 0 to 27 indicates depressive symptom severity but cannot establish a depression diagnosis on its own. A high total means you reported frequent depressive symptoms, but several conditions and experiences can produce overlapping answers. A qualified healthcare professional must assess your history, functioning, safety, and possible explanations before reaching a clinical conclusion.
