General screening
PHQ-4 Anxiety & Depression Screen
An ultra-brief 4-item screen for anxiety and depression.
About this test
The PHQ-4 is a very short screen that combines two questions for anxiety and two for depression. It is designed as a first, quick check. The first two items are the anxiety subscale and the last two are the depression subscale; a score of 3 or more on either pair is a positive screen for that area.
What your score means
| Score | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| 0–2 | None / minimal |
| 3–5 | Mild |
| 6–8 | Moderate |
| 9–12 | Severe |
About this questionnaire
The PHQ-4 is a freely available screening questionnaire. We present it exactly as published and add a plain-language explanation of your result.
It is for education and self-reflection, not a diagnosis — a score is a snapshot, not a label. If your result worries you, talk to a qualified professional. See how we choose and check our tests and our editorial standards.
Further independent, authoritative sources on this topic:
Frequently asked questions
What is the PHQ-4?
An ultra-brief 4-item screen: the first two items (GAD-2) cover anxiety, the last two (PHQ-2) cover depression.
What score is a concern?
A total of 3 or more on the anxiety pair or the depression pair is a positive screen for that area; a total of 6 or more overall suggests moderate-to-severe distress.
Related screenings
Source: Kroenke, Spitzer, Williams & Löwe (2009). Public domain (Pfizer).