Ultra-brief depression screening for busy clinical settings. ≈ 1 min to complete. Free with attribution.
PHQ-2 (Patient Health Questionnaire-2) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess ultra-brief depression screening for busy clinical settings.. It is most often used for ultra-brief depression screening for busy clinical settings.. The instrument contains 2 items. Typical administration time is ≈ 1 min.
Source / attribution: Free to use with citation
Ultra-brief depression screening for busy clinical settings. PHQ-2 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.
The instrument's primary construct — ultra-brief depression screening for busy clinical settings. — is operationalized through a fixed set of items, each with a defined response format. This standardisation is what allows PHQ-2 scores to be compared meaningfully across clinicians, sites, and studies.
Like all screening or assessment instruments, PHQ-2 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 2 items below to see your PHQ-2 score and interpretation.
Each item is scored on a 4-point scale (0–3). 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 items 1-2 scored 0-3. Total range 0-6. Score >= 3 suggests further evaluation.
Scoring notes: Sum items 1-2 scored 0-3. Total range 0-6. Score >= 3 suggests further evaluation.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 0–2 | Minimal | None |
| 3–6 | Possible depression | Administer PHQ-9 |
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 | Little interest or pleasure in doing things | More than half the days | 2 |
| 2 | Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless | Nearly every day | 3 |
Add up all the item scores you noted in Step 1.
2 + 3 = 5
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 5 falls between 3 and 6 → Possible depression
Possible depression. Administer PHQ-9
A score is one input alongside history and examination. PHQ-2 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-2 doesn't fit your context, related instruments in depression include:
| Scale | Measures | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHQ-8 | Research version of PHQ-9 excluding suicidality item for general population studies. | 8 | ≈ 2 min |
| CES-D | 20-item screening test for depressive symptoms in the general population. | 20 | ≈ 5 min |
| HADS-D | 7-item depression subscale designed for hospital and clinical outpatient settings. | 7 | ≈ 2 min |
| SDS | 20-item self-report scale measuring affective, psychological, and somatic symptoms of depression. | 20 | ≈ 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 | — |
PHQ-2 (Patient Health Questionnaire-2) is a validated instrument that assesses ultra-brief depression screening for busy clinical settings.. Its primary clinical use is ultra-brief depression screening for busy clinical settings..
PHQ-2 typically takes ≈ 1 min to administer. Time can vary slightly depending on whether it is self-administered or clinician-led.
PHQ-2 contains 2 items. Items are summed to produce a total score.
Scores of 3–6 fall in the "Possible depression" band. Administer PHQ-9
Scores of 0–2 fall in the "Minimal" band. None
PHQ-2 has reported Cronbach's α of 0.83 in validation samples and test–retest reliability of 0.82. Sensitivity 97%, specificity 67% for major depression.
PHQ-2 is free to use with attribution. Free to use with citation
Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. W. (2003). The Patient Health Questionnaire-2: Validity of a two-item depression screener. Medical Care, 41(11), 1284-1292.
No. PHQ-2 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-2 is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: