Before you start
This mood & emotions self-assessment helps you explore low mood, energy, and depressive symptoms. Answer each item based on your typical recent experience. 9 questions, all responses are required for an accurate indicative result.
This page is designed for self-reflection around low mood, energy, and depressive symptoms.
Look at how often the pattern appears, how strong it feels, and how much it affects daily functioning.
Online screening tools can support awareness, but they cannot confirm or exclude a clinical condition.
Who this test may help
This test may be useful if you want a structured snapshot of low mood, energy, and depressive symptoms and a starting point for reflection, tracking, or discussion with a professional.
How to read your score
Interpret the result together with context: recent stressors, sleep, health, relationships, and how long the pattern has been present. Borderline scores are best treated as signals, not labels.
Related tests
What this test measures
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) measures how often, over the last two weeks, you have been bothered by:
- low mood and loss of interest or pleasure,
- changes in sleep, energy and appetite,
- feelings of worthlessness or guilt,
- difficulty concentrating, slowing or agitation,
- thoughts that you would be better off dead or of self-harm.
Scores are commonly grouped into minimal, mild, moderate, moderately severe and severe ranges, which can help guide whether it may be useful to talk to a health professional.:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
How to use this result
A higher PHQ-9 score suggests that depressive symptoms are more frequent and may deserve careful attention, but it does not say anything about your worth as a person. Depression is common and often treatable.
You might use this score as a starting point to observe patterns, track change over time and, if needed, to open a conversation with a professional about mood, energy, sleep, motivation and protective factors in your life.
PHQ-9 Depression Test – FAQ
Can I use this result to self-diagnose depression?
No. The PHQ-9 is a screening and severity tool, not a standalone diagnostic interview. Only a qualified professional can integrate this information with your clinical history, context and other factors to reach a diagnosis.
What should I do if I score high on item 9?
Item 9 refers to thoughts that you would be better off dead or of self-harm. If you selected this option for “more than half the days” or “nearly every day”, or if you are worried about your safety, please seek help immediately from your doctor, local emergency services or a crisis helpline in your area.
Can I repeat the PHQ-9 over time?
Yes. The PHQ-9 is often used to monitor how symptoms change, for example before and after starting a treatment. Scores should always be interpreted together with your subjective experience and clinical judgement, not in isolation.