Depression self-check · quick
(PHQ-9, 9 items)

What is depression?

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a mental health condition built around persistent low mood and loss of interest, producing wide-ranging changes in the body, thinking, behavior and emotion. DSM-5 diagnoses major depressive disorder when five or more of nine symptoms — including low mood or loss of interest — have persisted for at least two weeks and are clearly affecting daily functioning. It is not weakness or a failure of will but a medical condition arising from brain, hormonal, environmental and genetic factors acting together — and like a cold, it responds to proper treatment.

PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9)

PHQ-9 was developed by Kroenke, Spitzer and Williams (2001) as a depression screening tool, with nine items mapping exactly onto the nine DSM-IV criteria for a major depressive episode. Each item asks how often you experienced that symptom over the past two weeks on a four-point scale from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day), for a total range of 0-27.

The Korean version was validated for reliability and validity by Park et al. (2010, Anxiety and Mood 6(2):119-124; α=.81) and has been adopted as the Korean National Center for Mental Health 2020 standard guidance for mental health screening toolsand official screening criterion for the national mental health support program. A cutoff of 10 or above is the screening threshold for major depressive disorder, where it performs well at 88% sensitivity and 88% specificity.

PHQ-9 severity — five bands

CES-D (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale)

CES-D is a community depression scale developed by Radloff (1977) at the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health. Twenty items on a four-point scale (0-3) produce a total of 0-60. Its psychometric properties as a first-line screening tool are very well established, and it measures the frequency of depressive symptoms over the past week.

The integrated Korean version was developed by Chon, Choi and Yang (2001, Korean Journal of Health Psychology 6(1):59-76). It consolidates and improves on problems in earlier Korean CES-D translations, and in a validation with 235 adults it showed very high internal consistency at Cronbach α=.91. It is used as the official self-check tool at a number of public institutions and counseling centers, and it is one of the standard tools adopted in the 2020 Korean guidance for mental health screening.

The CES-D four-factor structure (Chon 2001)

The integrated Korean CES-D is made up of these four factors:

Factor I — Somatic and retarded activity (8 items): Q1 (bothered), Q2 (poor appetite), Q3 (the blues), Q5 (trouble concentrating), Q6 (depressed), Q7 (everything an effort), Q13 (talked less), Q20 (could not get going). The bodily and psychomotor face of depression.

Factor II — Positive affect · reverse-scored (4 items): Q4 (as good as others), Q8 (hopeful), Q12 (happy), Q16 (enjoyed life). These are worded positively, so the answers are reverse-scored (0↔3, 1↔2).

Factor III — Interpersonal (4 items): Q9 (failure), Q14 (lonely), Q15 (people unfriendly), Q19 (people disliked me). How depression shows up in relationships.

Factor IV — Depressed affect (4 items): Q10 (fearful), Q11 (restless sleep), Q17 (crying spells), Q18 (sad). The core mood and sleep symptoms of depression.

CES-D severity — four bands (2020 Korean mental health screening guidance)

How do the quick and full versions differ?

The quick version (PHQ-9) is nine items mapping exactly onto the DSM-IV criteria, so it is specialized in depression screening, and it directly includes the suicide-risk item (Q9) so that safety can be checked. Its strength is assessing how close you are to the diagnostic criteria in a short time.

The full version (CES-D) is 20 items that break depression down precisely into four areas of expression (somatic, positive affect, interpersonal, depressed affect). Seeing which area stands out is useful for setting the direction of self-care and counseling, and as a community screening standard its reliability is very high (α=.91).

The two tests use different time frames: PHQ-9 asks about the past two weeks, CES-D the past week. If both come back high, depression is very likely; if only one does, take the difference in time frame, self-efficacy and situational factors into account.

Built-in safety for thoughts of suicide

Question 9 of the PHQ-9 asks directly about thoughts of suicide and self-harm. If that item scores 1 or above, checking your safety comes first, and this self-check immediately shows the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifelineand Mental health crisis support — 988 at the very top of the results page. Your answers are not stored on any server.

Since July 2022, suicide and crisis calls in the United States have been consolidated under the three-digit number 988. The separate ten-digit lifeline numbers that used to be listed side by side now route to the same network of crisis centers. Like 911, it is short and easy to remember, and it is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day by call, text or chat. The SAMHSA National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) continues to handle treatment referrals and information separately.

Eight things that help with depression

Depression is not a matter of willpower — it is a medical condition produced by brain, hormonal, environmental and genetic factors acting together. Self-care supplements professional treatment rather than replacing it.

Frequently asked questions