Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)

The PHQ-9 questionnaire is a tool that helps doctors understand how you’re feeling. It’s used to check for signs of depression, which is a common condition where people might feel sad, tired, and lose interest in things they used to enjoy.

The questionnaire has 9 questions that ask about your feelings and thoughts over the past two weeks. Each question is about different things like your mood, energy, sleep, and appetite. You’ll be asked to rate how often you’ve experienced certain feelings, like feeling down, having trouble sleeping, or not feeling interested in doing things.

Your answers will give the doctor an idea of how you’re doing emotionally. If you’ve been feeling down or not like yourself, your primary care provider can use your answers to figure out if you might be dealing with depression and what kind of help or support you might need.

Remember, it’s important to be honest when answering the questions, so your primary care provider can understand what you’re going through and provide the best possible care for you.