Depression Test — Free PHQ-9 Self-Screening

A Free, Confidential Depression Self-Screening

This depression test uses the PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), a free, public-domain screening questionnaire used by doctors and clinics worldwide. It asks nine short questions about how you have felt over the last two weeks and gives you a score with supportive, plain-English guidance.

Important: this is a self-screening tool, not a diagnosis. No online test can diagnose depression. It does not replace a professional evaluation. Treat your result as a starting point for a conversation with a doctor or mental-health professional, not as an answer. If you are struggling, please reach out for support.

How to Use the Test

1. Think about how you have felt over the last 2 weeks, not just today.
2. For each of the nine questions, choose how often the problem has bothered you, from “Not at all” to “Nearly every day.”
3. Tap See my result for your PHQ-9 score and guidance.
4. Tap Start over to retake it. Nothing is saved — the test runs only in your browser.

How the PHQ-9 Is Scored

Each of the nine items is scored from 0 (Not at all) to 3 (Nearly every day), so the total ranges from 0 to 27. The higher the total, the more symptoms you reported over the last two weeks.

PHQ-9 score	Symptom level
0–4	Minimal or none
5–9	Mild
10–14	Moderate
15–19	Moderately severe
20–27	Severe

Worked Example

Suppose you answer “More than half the days” (2 points) to five items, “Several days” (1 point) to three items, and “Not at all” (0 points) to one item. Your total is (5 × 2) + (3 × 1) + (1 × 0) = 13, which falls in the moderate band. That score is a reasonable reason to talk with a doctor — but it is not a diagnosis.

What Your Score Means (and Does Not Mean)

A higher score means you reported more depression symptoms, which can be a meaningful prompt to seek a professional opinion. A lower score does not rule anything out, especially if you still feel distressed. Many symptoms on the PHQ-9 overlap with stress, grief, physical illness, sleep problems and other conditions — which is exactly why an in-person assessment matters.

The ninth question asks about thoughts of self-harm. If any such thoughts come up, please take them seriously and reach out for support right away, regardless of your overall score.

Help Is Available

Depression is very treatable. Talking therapies, medication, lifestyle changes and support from people you trust all help many people recover. If this screening has raised concerns, please consider talking with a doctor or mental-health professional — reaching out is a sign of strength.

If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, get help now: in the US, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Anywhere else, contact your local emergency number or crisis service. You do not have to face this alone.