Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-SR-16)
16-item self-report of depression severity — 9 DSM-5 symptom domains
Measures depression severity over the past week across all 9 DSM-5 symptom domains. Developed by Rush et al. (2003) for the NIMH-sponsored sequenced treatment alternatives to relieve depression (STAR*D) study. 16 items, about 5 minutes.
QIDS-SR-16 measures depression severity over the past week. It was developed by Rush and colleagues (2003) as part of the NIMH-funded STAR*D study — the largest study of depression treatment ever conducted (4,000+ participants).
Nine DSM-5 Symptom Domains
The QIDS-SR covers all nine DSM-5 criteria for major depressive disorder:
- Sleep disturbance — trouble falling/staying asleep, early waking, or sleeping too much
- Sad mood — persistent low mood, non-reactive mood
- Appetite/weight change — decreased or increased appetite, weight fluctuation
- Concentration — trouble focusing, indecisiveness
- Self-blame — excessive guilt, feeling worthless
- Suicidal ideation — thoughts of death or suicide
- Loss of interest — anhedonia, loss of pleasure
- Low energy — fatigue, difficulty getting things done
- Psychomotor changes — feeling slowed down or agitated
Why domain scoring matters
Unlike PHQ-9 which uses one item per criterion, QIDS-SR uses multiple items for sleep (4), appetite (3), and psychomotor (2), then takes the highest score within each domain. This means your score reflects your worst symptom in each area — closer to how clinicians actually diagnose depression.
The QIDS-SR is public domain, free to use, and has been validated in Chinese populations.
Rush, A. J., Trivedi, M. H., Ibrahim, H. M., et al. (2003). The 16-Item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS), clinician rating (QIDS-C), and self-report (QIDS-SR): A psychometric evaluation in patients with chronic major depression. Psychological Medicine, 33(3), 477-486.
Scoring Guide
Domain scoring: max item for sleep(1-4), appetite(6-8), psychomotor(14-15), sadness(5+16). Others single-item domains. Total 0-27 = sum of 9 domain scores. Cutoffs: 5 mild, 10 moderate, 15 severe, 20 very severe. Cronbach's α = 0.86 (Rush et al., 2003).Result Interpretation
Finish the 16 questions and you get your results straight away — no account, no sign-up, no waiting.
We calculate your total from your answers, then give you a plain-language explanation of what the numbers mean. Where a test has sub-scales, each dimension gets its own score. Whenever possible, we also show how your results compare to population norms.
详细报告 📊
Get an in-depth analysis with dimension breakdowns, population comparisons, and actionable recommendations.