How often have you been bothered by each of the following symptoms during the past two weeks? For each symptom put an “X” in the box beneath the answer that best describes how you have been feeling.
Report details · optional
Shown on the report and stored with the screening record. Use initials or a code, not full names.
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About this screener — evidence, source, alternatives
The nine PHQ-9 depression items adapted for adolescents — irritability is included with depressed mood, and examples are age-appropriate — rated over the past two weeks and scored 0 to 27. Adds an unscored question on persistent low mood over the past year (a pointer to dysthymia) and the functional difficulty question. Item 9 asks about thoughts of death or self-harm.
Evidence · validated
The PHQ-A was validated against blinded clinical interviews in 403 adolescent primary-care patients (Johnson et al., 2002). For PHQ-9 total scores in adolescents aged 13–17, a cut-point of ≥ 11 had a sensitivity of 89.5% and specificity of 77.5% for DSM-IV major depression (Richardson et al., Pediatrics 2010;126:1117–1123).
Free alternative to
- Children's Depression Inventory 2 (CDI-2) · MHS
Paid child/adolescent depression inventory; the PHQ-A is the free primary-care alternative recommended in adolescent depression guidelines.
Source & licence
Johnson JG, Harris ES, Spitzer RL, Williams JBW. The Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents: validation of an instrument for the assessment of mental disorders among adolescent primary care patients. J Adolesc Health. 2002;30(3):196–204. Form text as published by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (ASQ Toolkit).
Licence: Public domain — the PHQ instruction manual (phqscreeners.com) lists the PHQ-A among PHQ-family measures that are in the public domain; text reproduced from the U.S. NIMH ASQ Toolkit.
A separate AAP/GLAD-PC version ('PHQ-9: Modified for Teens', © AAP) adds two further suicide questions; that version is not reproduced here.
Official source ↗