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Patient Health Questionaire 9

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Patient Health Questionaire 9, PHQ-9, Patient Health Questionaire for Adolescents, PHQ-A

Indications

Confirmation of Major Depression
Intended for use in combination with PHQ-2
1. Use PHQ-2 (2 questions) first as initial screening
2. Administer PHQ-9 if PHQ-2 is positive

Grading
Answer key for 9 questions below

Not at all: 0
Several days: 1
More than half the days: 2
Nearly every day: 3

Criteria

Notes
1. Summary of questionnaire below is not verbatim
  1. Format changed into outline form
  2. Represents a total of 9 questions (main headings)
2. Use standardized wording for administering PHQ-9
3. Patient Health Questionaire for Adolescents (PHQ-A) is nearly identical to PHQ-9
  1. Wording under concentration question in PHQ-A includes school work concentration
In past 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by:
1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things?
2. Feeling down, depressed or hopeless?
3. Sleep problems?
  1. Trouble falling asleep
  2. Trouble staying asleep
  3. Sleeping too much
4. Feeling tired or having no energy?
5. Poor appetite or Overeating?
6. Feeling bad about yourself?
  1. That you are a failure
  2. Have let yourself or your family down
7. Trouble concentrating on things?
  1. Reading the newspaper
  2. Watching television
  3. School work (part of PHQ for Adolescents)
8. Altered energy
  1. Moving or speaking so slowly people have noticed or
  2. So fidgety or restless - moving around a lot more
9. Thoughts of Suicide
  1. Thoughts that You would be better off dead
  2. Thoughts of hurting yourself in some way

Interpretation
Based on scoring of 9 questions above

Score 0-4: No depression symptoms
Score 5-9: Minor depression symptoms
Score 10-14: Moderate depression symptoms
Score 15-19: Moderate to severe depression symptoms
Score 20 or more: Severe depression symptoms

Efficacy
PHQ-9

Test Sensitivity: 88%
Test Specificity: 88%

References

Kroenke (2001) J Gen Intern Med 16:606-13 [PubMed]