PHQ-9
Also written as: PHQ-9 — Patient Health Questionnaire-9
A standardized nine-item screening tool used to assess depression severity in clinical and research settings.
Full Definition
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is a validated diagnostic instrument that measures depression severity using nine questions corresponding to DSM criteria for major depressive disorder. Each item is scored from 0-3, with total scores ranging from 0-27, where higher scores indicate more severe depression. The PHQ-9 is widely used in primary care, behavioral health, and research settings for screening, diagnosis, and monitoring treatment response. In clinical documentation, PHQ-9 scores must be properly recorded with administration dates and interpretation of severity levels (minimal, mild, moderate, moderately severe, or severe depression).
Usage
Usage note: Always use the hyphenated form 'PHQ-9' and include score interpretation when documenting results.
In Context
- "The patient's PHQ-9 score of 16 indicates moderately severe depression requiring immediate intervention." — Clinical assessment note
- "Follow-up PHQ-9 administration showed improvement from baseline score of 19 to current score of 8." — Progress monitoring report