Scoring the PHQ-9 modified for teens is easy but involves thinking about several different aspects of depression. To use the PHQ-9 as a diagnostic aid for Major Depressive Disorder: Questions 1 and/or 2 need to be endorsed as a “2” or “3”
PHQ-9 Scoring Instructions and Interpretation Scoring Add the scores indicated for each item in each column and add the columns together for the Total score. Interpretation of Total Score and Treatment Suggestions Score Range Treatment 0-4 Normal No action 5-9* Mild Watchful Waiting; Consider scheduling a follow-up visit in a few weeks, patient Guide for Interpreting PHQ-9 Scores-Of the first nine items, 1., 2., or 3. are checked as at least "more than half the days"-Either item 1. or 2. is positive; that is, at least "more than half the days" Score Action 0-4 Suggests the patient may not need depression treatment 5-14 Mild major depressive disorder. Provider uses clinical judgement The PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) objectifies and assesses degree of depression severity via questionnaire. This is an unprecedented time. It is the dedication of healthcare workers that will lead us through this crisis. PATIENT HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE-9 (PHQ-9) Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems? (Use “ ” to indicate your answer) Not at all
The PHQ-9 is the 9-question depression scale of PHQ. The PHQ is a self-administered version of the PRIME-MD, a screening tool that assesses 12 mental and emotional health disorders. The PHQ is 59-question instrument. It has modules on mood (PHQ-9), anxiety, alcohol, eating, and somatoform disorders.
PATIENT HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE-9 (PHQ-9) Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems? (Use “ ” to indicate your answer) Not at all
Scoring: Responses for the PHQ-9 are scored from 0 to 3, with a total PHQ-9 score that ranges from 0 to 27. A woman scoring above 9 could be suffering from moderate to severe depression. 8 PHQ-9 was specifically designed to detect symptoms of major depressive disorder, but is commonly used to detect symptoms of PPD.
PHQ-9 total score for the nine items ranges from 0 to 27. In the above case, the PHQ- 9 depression severity score is 16 (3 items scored 1, 2 items scored 2, and 3 items scored 3). Scores of 5, 10, 15, and 20 represent cutpoints for mild, moderate, moderately severe and severe depression, respectively. Sensitivity to change has also been confirmed. The percentage of members 12 years of age and older with a diagnosis of depression and an elevated PHQ-9 score, who had evidence of response or remission within 4–8 months of the elevated score. Follow-Up PHQ-9. The percentage of members who have a follow-up PHQ-9 score documented within 4–8 months after the initial elevated PHQ-9 score. PHQ-9 scoring. It is not a screening tool for depression, but it is used to monitor the severity of depression and response to treatment. However, it can be used to make a tentative diagnosis of depression in at-risk populations - eg, those with coronary heart disease or after stroke. PHQ-9 Depression Severity. Scores represent: 0-5 mild. 6-10 The PHQ-9 is brief, free to use, and easy to score. It has good specificity, but the poor sensitivity could lead to false negatives, [26] which is a problem for a screening tool. It is likely to perform best in samples where the prevalence of depressive disorders is high. [25] The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med 2001; 16:606. Only digits 0 to 9 and a single decimal point (".") are acceptable as numeric inputs.