Depression Self-Test (PHQ9)

  Recognising depression isn't always easy. This self-test has been created as a quick assessment of your mood and to check if you are showing any of the main signs for depression. It is the same Patient Health Questionnaire that many health professionals use.

It's not the same as a diagnosis for depression. Only your GP or health professional can do that. If you have been feeling really low and think you might be depressed you should go to your GP. Take the results of this test along with you - you can use them as a starting point in your discussion.

Fill in the questionnaire below, or you can download and print it in PDF format.

 

Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9)*

Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems?

Not at all

Several days

More than half the days

Nearly every day

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 keep up with your work or study, take care of things at home, or get along with other people?

Not difficult at all

Somewhat difficult

Very difficult

Extremely difficult

 

If you are finding it difficult to keep up with your normal day-to-day stuff and it is affecting your life, please talk to someone as soon as you can. This might be your GP, someone you trust like a friend, someone from your family, email us info@actionondepression.org.

 

 

*PHQ9 Copyright ©Pfizer. Reprinted with permission, courtesy of Pfizer Limited. PRIME-MD ® is a trademark of Pfizer