Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms (QIDS-SR-16)
16-item self-report of depression severity — 9 DSM-5 symptom domains
How have you been sleeping and feeling this past week? The QIDS-SR covers all 9 DSM-5 symptom domains to give you a clear picture of depression severity — not a diagnosis, just a snapshot of where you stand. About 5 minutes, 16 items.
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 per symptom 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.
<blockquote>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.</blockquote>Result Interpretation
After completing the 16 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
- Dimension breakdown — separate scores for each sub-scale
- Context — how your results compare to general population norms where available
All results are displayed on screen. No account or login needed.