Clinically reviewed by Dr G Om Prakasham, MBBS, MS, MCh, FACS (Singapore), Mental Health Advocate
This test uses the PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), a nine-question screening tool built for use in everyday clinics. It asks how often, over the last two weeks, you have been bothered by each of nine common symptoms of depression. Each answer scores from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day), giving a total between 0 and 27.
The total places you in one of five bands, from minimal to severe. The bands are a guide to how much support may help. They are not a verdict on who you are, and they cannot replace a conversation with a clinician.
A screening test is a starting point. Here is where it helps and where it stops.
Everyday tasks feel exhausting even after rest.
Others may notice you are slowed down, or unable to sit still.
If your score is 0 to 4: keep up the habits that protect your mood, such as regular sleep, movement and time with people you trust. Retake the test if you notice changes.
If your score is 5 to 9: mild symptoms often improve with routine, activity and talking to someone. Retake the test in two weeks. If symptoms continue or worsen, speak to a doctor or counsellor.
If your score is 10 or more: book an assessment with a psychiatrist, psychologist or doctor, and take your result with you. Say plainly how long this has gone on and how it affects sleep, work and relationships. Mention any alcohol or drug use too, since it can worsen low mood and affects treatment choices.
Many people notice improvement within weeks to months of starting treatment, and recovery is common. Complementary approaches can sit alongside medical care, but they do not replace it for moderate or severe depression.
At Thamarai Healing Center in Pollachi, our mental health program starts with a comprehensive assessment, then builds confidential, personalised care with evidence-based therapies, support for co-occurring conditions and structured aftercare.
No test on a website can confirm depression. This screening shows how many depression symptoms you have reported over the last two weeks and how serious they look. A doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist makes a diagnosis after talking with you.
The PHQ-9 is one of the most widely studied depression screening questionnaires and is used in primary care and mental health services around the world. It is good at flagging people who need a fuller assessment, but it can over- or under-call depression for some people. That is why a score of 10 or more should lead to a conversation with a professional.
Lower is better. A score of 0 to 4 suggests few or no symptoms. 5 to 9 is mild, 10 to 14 is moderate, 15 to 19 is moderately severe, and 20 to 27 is severe.
A score of 10 or more is the point at which doctors usually recommend a full assessment. Any score with thoughts of harming yourself or being better off dead needs prompt attention, whatever the total.
Yes. Your answers are worked out in your own browser. They are not saved, sent to Thamarai Healing Center or shared with anyone.
Speak to a doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist soon, and tell one person you trust how you have been feeling. If you have thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call Tele-MANAS on 14416 (free, 24/7), call 112 in an emergency, or go to the nearest hospital.
The questions look at the last two weeks, so retaking it every two weeks is a reasonable way to see whether things are changing. Taking it repeatedly in one sitting will not give you new information.
Have there been times when you felt depressed or hopeless? Is depression a mental disorder? Supporting someone with anxiety and depression Our other confidential self-screening
Clinically reviewed by Dr G Om Prakasham, MBBS, MS, MCh, FACS (Singapore), Mental Health Advocate. Last reviewed October 2026.