PHQ-2 Depression Screening Calculator
HealthScore the 2-question PHQ-2 depression screening questionnaire instantly. A quick self-check tool, not a diagnosis, based on the validated Patient Health Questionnaire.
PHQ-2 Total Score
0
What is a PHQ-2 Score?
The PHQ-2 Depression Screening Calculator scores the two-question Patient Health Questionnaire, a brief, widely used self-report screening tool that asks about the frequency of low interest/pleasure and low mood over the past two weeks. It's designed as a quick first-pass check, not a diagnostic tool.
This is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. If you're experiencing persistent low mood, please talk to a doctor, counselor, or mental health professional. For a broader self-reflection check, see the Happiness Calculator.
How to use this PHQ-2 Score calculator
- Answer how often you've had little interest or pleasure in doing things over the past two weeks.
- Answer how often you've been feeling down, depressed, or hopeless over the past two weeks.
- Read your PHQ-2 Total Score instantly.
- Use the result as a prompt for reflection or as a conversation starter with a healthcare professional, not as a standalone diagnosis.
Formula & Methodology
Each question is scored on a 0-3 frequency scale: Not at all (0), Several days (1), More than half the days (2), Nearly every day (3). Total Score = Interest/Pleasure score + Feeling Down score (range: 0-6) Worked example — "Several days" (1) for interest/pleasure and "More than half the days" (2) for feeling down: Total Score = 1 + 2 = 3 This total sits at a commonly referenced threshold some clinicians use as a prompt for further conversation — but interpretation should always come from a healthcare professional, not this calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
The PHQ-2 (Patient Health Questionnaire-2) is a widely used 2-question screening tool that asks about the frequency of low interest/pleasure and feeling down over the past two weeks. It's a shortened version of the longer PHQ-9 questionnaire, designed as a quick first-pass screening check.
No — the PHQ-2 is a screening tool only, not a diagnostic instrument. A higher score suggests it may be worth discussing your mood with a healthcare professional, but only a qualified clinician can make an actual diagnosis.
Each of the two questions is scored from 0 (Not at all) to 3 (Nearly every day) based on how often you've experienced that symptom over the past two weeks, and the two scores are added together for a total ranging from 0 to 6.
Higher scores indicate more frequent symptoms of low mood or reduced interest over the past two weeks; a commonly referenced score of 3 or higher is often used as a threshold suggesting further evaluation may be worthwhile, though this calculator does not provide a clinical interpretation — discuss any score with a healthcare professional if you have concerns.
The PHQ-2 uses only the first two questions of the full PHQ-9 questionnaire as a quick screening check; the PHQ-9 includes seven additional questions covering a broader range of depression symptoms and is used for more detailed assessment when a screening result suggests it's warranted.
There's no fixed schedule — some people use it as an occasional self-check, while in clinical settings it's sometimes used at each visit as a quick screening step, with follow-up assessment done by a healthcare professional when needed.
No — this calculator runs entirely in your browser and does not transmit, store, or share your answers anywhere.
Consider speaking with a doctor, counselor, or mental health professional about how you've been feeling — the PHQ-2 is designed to prompt that conversation, not to replace it, and professional support is available for anyone experiencing persistent low mood.
No — the PHQ-2 specifically screens for depressive symptoms (low interest/pleasure and low mood); anxiety-focused screening uses different validated tools such as the GAD-7.
The PHQ-2, like the longer PHQ-9, was developed as part of the Patient Health Questionnaire family of tools used widely in primary care and research settings to screen for depressive symptoms using patients' own self-reports.
Also known as