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Mental health screeners

Two-Question Depression Check (PHQ-2)

The two questions doctors ask first: interest and mood over the last two weeks. A gate to the fuller PHQ-9, not a measure on its own.

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At a glance

Questions
2
Typical time
Under 2 min
Time limit
Untimed
Age
18+
Cost
Free
Compared with
Read against the response scale

4-point scale ranging from "Not at all" to "Nearly every day"

Two-Question Depression Check (PHQ-2)

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What it reports

Reported as one overall score rather than as separate scales.

What it measures

The two questions doctors ask first: interest and mood over the last two weeks. A gate to the fuller PHQ-9, not a measure on its own.

How a result is read

No norm; the score is read against the published cut-off only. A total of 3 or more is the standard positive screen (Kroenke et al., 2003).

How a result is read
Very low2%Low14%Average68%High14%Very high2%

Your score is read against adults generally. The bands below come from the shape of a normal distribution, which is the model the scoring assumes rather than a count from a reference sample. Most people sit in the middle and both ends are rare by definition, so a band is a position in a distribution, not a verdict.

Good uses

  • A quick check on how the last two weeks have been.
  • A starting point for a conversation with a doctor or psychologist.
  • Repeating it over time to see whether things are changing.

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Known limits

  • It counts symptoms over two weeks; it cannot tell what is causing them.
  • It is a screening tool, not a diagnosis, and does not replace speaking to a professional.

Before you start

This result is not a diagnosis. The questionnaire counts how often you have noticed certain experiences recently; it cannot tell why they are there or what they mean for you. Only a qualified clinician can do that, in a conversation that takes your history and your situation into account. A high score is a reason to talk to someone; a low score does not rule anything out if you are struggling.

If you are in Montenegro and need help now: call 124 for emergency medical help or 112 for any emergency, or go to the nearest emergency department (hitna pomoć). Outside Montenegro, contact your local emergency number or crisis line.

Other tests

Covering similar ground: Depression Screener (PHQ-9), Depression Screener (PHQ-8), Four-Question Anxiety and Depression Check (PHQ-4), Anxiety Screener (GAD-7).

Where these come from

PHQ and GAD-7 screeners developed by Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke and colleagues, with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc. No permission required to reproduce, translate, display or distribute.

How it works

Three steps, then a result

  1. You answer

    2 questions, under 2 min. There is no penalty for stopping early, but leaving the page loses your answers.

  2. It is scored

    Scoring happens the moment you finish. Nothing is queued, emailed later or charged for.

  3. You read it against adults

    Your score is placed against adults generally, which is the one comparison group held for this test.

Length, against others measuring the same thing
Camouflaging (CAT-Q), 25 questions Anxiety Screener (GAD-7), 8 questions Two-Question Anxiety Check (GAD-2), 2 questions Four-Question Anxiety and Depression Check (PHQ-4), 4 questions Depression Screener (PHQ-8), 9 questions Depression Screener (PHQ-9), 10 questions

2 this test: 2 25

How you answer

Disagree Agree

What you get

Your results, and their limits

As soon as you finish

You see your score on each scale the test measures, together with a short note on what that scale refers to and how to read the number. There is no charge.

Scores are read against adults generally. That is a way of interpreting the score rather than a percentile against a normed sample, so it tells you what the score means rather than where you rank among people of your age, occupation or country.

What it will not tell you

It is not a diagnosis and not a clinical assessment. It will not tell you whether you are suited to a particular job or course, and a score is not a verdict on you.

Results depend on how carefully and honestly you answer. If a result concerns you, or you are struggling, speak to a doctor or a licensed psychologist. Terms of use.

The rest of the collection

Every free test, by what it measures

Mental health screeners 7

Ready when you are

2 questions | Under 2 min | free | scored immediately

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