15-item screening measure for somatic symptom severity in primary care. ≈ 3 min to complete. Free with attribution.
PHQ-15 (Patient Health Questionnaire-15) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess 15-item screening measure for somatic symptom severity in primary care.. It is most often used for 15-item screening measure for somatic symptom severity in primary care.. The instrument contains 15 items. Typical administration time is ≈ 3 min.
Source / attribution: Free to use with citation
15-item screening measure for somatic symptom severity in primary care. PHQ-15 is part of standard practice in this setting because it provides a structured, replicable assessment that can be tracked over time and compared across patients or visits.
Like all screening or assessment instruments, PHQ-15 is a structured aid — not a diagnostic test in isolation. Results should be interpreted alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Where a score crosses an actionable threshold, the next step is typically a more detailed clinical evaluation rather than a definitive diagnosis.
Answer all 15 items below to see your PHQ-15 score and interpretation.
Each item is scored on a 3-point scale (0–2). Your score updates live as you answer.
All scoring runs in your browser. No data is sent anywhere — close the tab and the answers are gone.
Sum all 15 items scored 0-2. Total range 0-30. Higher scores = greater somatic symptom severity.
Scoring notes: Sum all 15 items scored 0-2. Total range 0-30. Higher scores = greater somatic symptom severity.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | Minimal | None |
| 5–9 | Low | Monitor |
| 10–14 | Medium | Consider treatment |
| 15–30 | High | Active treatment |
This is an illustrative walkthrough, not a real patient. Follow the same four steps with your own answers — or use the live calculator at the top of this page.
Read each question and choose the response that best fits. Each response has a number next to it — that number is the item's score. The example below uses illustrative answers.
| # | Item | Example response | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stomach pain | Bothered a little | 1 |
| 2 | Back pain | Bothered a little | 1 |
| 3 | Pain in your arms, legs, or joints (knees, hips, etc.) | Bothered a little | 1 |
| 4 | Menstrual cramps or other problems with your periods | Bothered a little | 1 |
| 5 | Headaches | Bothered a little | 1 |
| 6 | Chest pain | Bothered a little | 1 |
| 7 | Dizziness | Bothered a little | 1 |
| 8 | Fainting spells | Bothered a little | 1 |
| 9 | Feeling your heart pound or race | Bothered a little | 1 |
| 10 | Shortness of breath | Not bothered at all | 0 |
| 11 | Pain or problems during sexual intercourse | Bothered a little | 1 |
| 12 | Constipation, loose bowels, or diarrhea | Not bothered at all | 0 |
| 13 | Nausea, gas, or indigestion | Bothered a little | 1 |
| 14 | Feeling tired or having low energy | Not bothered at all | 0 |
| 15 | Trouble sleeping | Bothered a little | 1 |
Add up all the item scores you noted in Step 1.
1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + … (items 9–15 sum to 4) = 12
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 12 falls between 10 and 14 → Medium
Medium. Consider treatment
A score is one input alongside history and examination. PHQ-15 supports clinical judgment — it does not replace it.
Psychometric figures are drawn from the validation literature and may vary across clinical populations and translations.
If PHQ-15 doesn't fit your context, related instruments in somatic include:
| Scale | Measures | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| BPI | 15-item measure assessing pain severity and pain interference with daily functioning. | 11 | ≈ 3 min |
| FIQR | 21-item revised version assessing functional status, overall impact, and symptoms of fibromyalgia. | 21 | ≈ 5 min |
| PHQ-9 | Severity of depression | 9 | ≈ 3 minutes |
| GAD-7 | Severity of generalized anxiety | 7 | ≈ 2 minutes |
| AUDIT | 10-item WHO screening tool for hazardous alcohol consumption and dependence. | 10 | ≈ 3 min |
| CHA2DS2-VASc | Annual stroke risk in non-valvular atrial fibrillation | 8 | — |
| Glasgow Coma Scale | Level of consciousness after head injury | 3 | — |
| MELD-Na | 3-month mortality in advanced liver disease; transplant prioritization | 5 | — |
PHQ-15 (Patient Health Questionnaire-15) is a validated instrument that assesses 15-item screening measure for somatic symptom severity in primary care.. Its primary clinical use is 15-item screening measure for somatic symptom severity in primary care..
PHQ-15 typically takes ≈ 3 min to administer. Time can vary slightly depending on whether it is self-administered or clinician-led.
PHQ-15 contains 15 items. Items are summed to produce a total score.
Scores of 15–30 fall in the "High" band. Active treatment
Scores of 0–4 fall in the "Minimal" band. None
PHQ-15 has reported Cronbach's α of 0.83 in validation samples and test–retest reliability of 0.78. Correlates with functional impairment and health care use.
PHQ-15 is free to use with attribution. Free to use with citation
Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. (2002). The PHQ-15: Validity of a new measure for evaluating the severity of somatic symptoms. Psychosomatic Medicine, 64(2), 258-266.
No. PHQ-15 is a structured assessment aid. A score is one input alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Treatment decisions should never rest on a screening score alone.
PHQ-15 is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: