Free Depression Test (PHQ-9)
Quick check-in · 9 questions · about 3 minutes
This mood self-check helps you reflect on low mood, loss of interest, sleep, energy, concentration and how you have been viewing yourself lately. It is a wellbeing check to support your next step — not a clinical diagnosis.
This self-check uses the PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), a widely used and well-validated depression screening questionnaire. It is a screening tool for reflection and conversation — not a diagnosis.
This self-check is not a crisis service. Please contact local emergency services or a crisis hotline immediately, or reach out to someone you trust now. If you are in immediate danger, call emergency services.
24-hour hotlines (Malaysia): Talian Kasih 15999 · Befrienders KL 03-7627 2929 · Emergency 999
Please answer every question before seeing your result.
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Privacy: your questionnaire answers stay in your browser and are never stored. If you submit this form we keep only your name, contact details, which self-check you took, the overall category, and your consent — handled per our Privacy Policy. Your details are sent to us by you, via your own WhatsApp — we do not email them anywhere.
If you are in crisis right now
Please do not wait for a website form. Call Talian Kasih 15999 or Befrienders KL 03-7627 2929 (24 hours), or 999 in an emergency. We are not a 24-hour mental health clinic.
Helpful reading and services
Ready to talk to someone? Explore our individual counselling services in KL.
What is the PHQ-9?
The PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) is a nine-item questionnaire used worldwide to screen for depression and measure how severe symptoms are. It asks how often, over the past two weeks, you have been bothered by things like low mood, loss of interest, sleep and appetite changes, poor concentration and low energy. Each item is scored from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day), giving a total between 0 and 27.
It is free to use, takes about two minutes, and is used in clinics and research across the world — including by general practitioners in Malaysia — precisely because it is short and reliable.
How PHQ-9 scores are interpreted
- 0–4 — minimal or no depressive symptoms
- 5–9 — mild symptoms; worth monitoring
- 10–14 — moderate symptoms; a conversation with a professional is advisable
- 15–19 — moderately severe symptoms; treatment is usually recommended
- 20–27 — severe symptoms; we would encourage you to seek support soon
A score is a starting point for a conversation, not a verdict. Two people with the same total can need very different things, which is why a psychologist looks at your history and circumstances rather than the number alone.
PHQ-9, GAD-7 or DASS-21 — which should you take?
These are different tools for different questions. The PHQ-9 on this page focuses specifically on depression. If worry and tension are more prominent, our GAD-7 anxiety test fits better. The DASS-21 measures depression, anxiety and stress together, which some people find more useful as a first look. There is no harm in taking more than one.
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