Depression & Anxiety Screener (PHQ-4)
4 questions, 30 seconds — screen anxiety and depression
Just want to know how you are doing lately? The PHQ-4 is the shortest validated screener — 4 items covering the core symptoms of anxiety (GAD-2) and depression (PHQ-2), with results in 30 seconds. When your score reaches the screening threshold, it guides you straight to the full GAD-7 or PHQ-9 assessment.
30 seconds to know where you stand
If you have been feeling off lately — poor sleep, low energy, restlessness, overthinking — but cannot quite say what is wrong, the PHQ-4 is for you.
The PHQ-4 is the shortest validated screening tool, developed by Kroenke, Spitzer, Williams, and Löwe in 2009. Just 4 items, yet it covers the two core symptom clusters of both anxiety and depression:
- First 2 items (GAD-2): core anxiety symptoms — feeling nervous, uncontrollable worry
- Last 2 items (PHQ-2): core depressive symptoms — low mood, loss of interest
What the scores mean
- 0-2: Normal — little to no distress
- 3-5: Mild distress (a total of 3 or more already meets the threshold for further assessment)
- 6-8: Moderate distress — a full assessment is recommended
- 9-12: Severe distress — professional help is recommended as soon as possible
After screening: your next step
The PHQ-4's job is triage, not a final answer. It captures only the core signals; the full screeners provide severity grading:
- Anxiety subscale (first 2 items) of 3 or more → take the GAD-7 (7 items, about 3 minutes)
- Depression subscale (last 2 items) of 3 or more → take the PHQ-9 (9 items, about 3 minutes)
Psychometric notes
- Construct validity: two-factor model fit well (RMSEA 0.027, Löwe 2010)
- Subscale cutoffs: GAD-2 ≥3 corresponds to the 95th percentile of the general population; PHQ-2 ≥3 to the 93rd
- Score range: 0-12
- Completion time: about 30 seconds
Scoring Guide
Total 0-12. 0-2=Normal, 3-5=Mild, 6-8=Moderate, 9-12=Severe (Löwe 2010 bands). First 2 items (GAD-2 anxiety subscale) ≥3 suggests anxiety; last 2 items (PHQ-2 depression subscale) ≥3 suggests depression (Kroenke 2009). Total ≥3 warrants further assessment. No reverse-scored items.Result Interpretation
After completing the 4 questions, you'll receive an immediate, detailed report with:
- Your score — calculated automatically based on your responses
- Score interpretation — what your score means in practical terms
- Context — how your results compare to general population norms where available
All results are displayed on screen. No account or login needed.