PHQ-9 depression test online

• Think only about the last two weeks, not about how you feel “in general”.
• Rate the frequency: on how many of the fourteen days the symptom was there.
• Mark a symptom even if you think it is related to an illness, medication or tiredness. A specialist will help sort out the causes.
• Take the test in a quiet place. It takes 2-3 minutes.

Each answer gives a certain number of points depending on how often the symptom bothered you. The points add up to a total, and the total sets the level:

• Minimal symptoms or none.
• Mild symptoms: keep an eye on how you feel and repeat the test in 2-4 weeks.
• Moderate symptoms: a consultation with a specialist is recommended.
• Moderately severe symptoms: a specialist’s help is needed.
• Severe symptoms: help is needed soon.

The line between mild and moderate symptoms matters. In the 2001 study, a result at the moderate level or above identified major depressive disorder with a sensitivity and specificity of 88%. That is, the test correctly found most people with depression and rarely erred about those without it.

A high score is not yet a diagnosis. Similar answers can come from an anxiety disorder, exhaustion, grief after a loss, the after-effects of an illness or lack of sleep. A doctor makes the diagnosis after a conversation with you. The test helps you start that conversation in time.

The first two questions are the main ones. Loss of interest in what used to bring joy and a low mood on most days are the key signs of depression. If neither is present, depression is unlikely.

The other questions are about how depression affects the body and thinking: sleep, energy, appetite, how you see yourself, concentration, the speed of movement, thoughts of death.

In practice it is important to remember that people can experience depressive symptoms differently: some notice tiredness and poor sleep first, others a loss of interest in life and difficulty with everyday tasks. There is no need to wait until it becomes unbearable to seek support. Even if your test result is low but you are struggling, you have the right to help.

Seek help right away, without repeating the test, if:

• thoughts of death or of hurting yourself appear. If there is immediate danger, call 112 or 103;
• the symptoms last longer than two weeks and get in the way of work, study or contact with people;
• basic things become hard: eating, sleeping, looking after yourself;
• you feel worse from week to week.

With a low score, look after the basics: sleep, movement, contact with people. Take the test again in 2-4 weeks. If the test showed moderate or stronger symptoms, or your state gets in the way of life at any score, see a specialist.

Depression is treatable. The World Health Organization names psychological help as the first treatment for depression (WHO, “Depression”). One of the most studied approaches is cognitive behavioural therapy. With severe symptoms, psychotherapy is often combined with treatment by a psychiatrist.

After the test you can choose a Health360 psychologist right away. Consultations are online, and the first 30-minute session is free.

Depression often goes hand in hand with anxiety. If after the depression test you notice that constant tension or restlessness bothers you more, take the GAD-7 anxiety test. Sudden attacks of fear with a racing heart and shortness of breath are checked by the panic attack test. All methods are on the online psychological tests page.