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The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is a 9-item self-report measure of depression severity. Each item is rated 0-3 (not at all to nearly every day), producing a total score of 0-27. It is the IAPT core depression measure and is administered at every clinical contact.
Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems?
Administer at every session as a routine outcome measure to track depression severity over time. The PHQ-9 is the standard sessional measure for depression in IAPT and most CBT services. Use it to monitor treatment response, identify deterioration early, and guide clinical decision-making about treatment intensity or approach changes.
Normalise as routine practice: 'At the start of each session, I'll ask you to fill in this short questionnaire about how you've been feeling over the past two weeks. It helps us both keep track of how things are going and spot any changes early. There are no right or wrong answers.'
For clients who find repeated measures tedious, explain the clinical value and show them their progress graph. For those with literacy difficulties, read items aloud. Always follow up on item 9 (suicidal ideation) with a clinical risk assessment regardless of the score given.
The PHQ-9 alone is not sufficient for diagnosing depression; use alongside clinical judgement. Do not rely solely on the total score without examining individual items, as the pattern of symptoms matters. Be cautious about over-interpreting small week-to-week fluctuations.
Plot scores graphically across sessions to visualise trajectory. A 5-point change is considered reliable, and a 50% reduction is considered clinically significant. If scores plateau mid-treatment, review the formulation and consider whether the treatment approach needs adjusting. Item-level analysis can reveal which symptoms are responding to treatment and which are not.
Scores are calculated automatically when your client completes this measure (range 0–27).
Suitable for clients working with outcome-measure, depression, phq-9, validated. This tool can be used as a standalone worksheet or as part of a structured homework plan.
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The Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) is a 17-item self-report measure of social anxiety. Each item is rated 0-4, producing a total score of 0-68. Used as the IAPT ADSM for social anxiety disorder.
The PHQ-15 is a 15-item somatic symptom severity measure. Each item is rated 0-2, producing a total score of 0-30. Used as the IAPT measure for medically unexplained symptoms (MUS).
The Chalder Fatigue Scale is an 11-item measure of fatigue severity. Each item is rated 0-3 using Likert scoring, producing a total score of 0-33. Used as the IAPT measure for CFS/ME presentations.
The Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) is a 7-item measure of panic attack frequency, distress, anticipatory anxiety, avoidance, and functional impairment. Each item is rated 0-4, producing a total score of 0-28. Used as the IAPT ADSM for panic disorder.