What does the PHQ-9 measure?

• A. Anxiety
• B. Bipolar disorder
• C. ADHD
• D. Depression

Answer: (D)

The PHQ-9 measures depression symptoms and their severity over the past two weeks. It’s a nine-item self-report questionnaire where each item asks how often you’ve been bothered by a specific symptom (such as little interest or pleasure in activities, feeling down or hopeless, trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, fatigue, changes in appetite, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, concentration difficulties, psychomotor changes, and thoughts of self-harm). Each item is scored 0 to 3, and the total score indicates how severe the depression may be, from minimal to severe. It’s widely used in primary care to screen for depression, track changes over time, and inform treatment decisions. It’s not intended to measure anxiety, bipolar disorder, or ADHD, which have different tools and diagnostic criteria.