Table 2.
Standard depression questionnaire (PHQ-9; left column) and modified depression-related experience questions (right column)
| PHQ-9 question categories (“Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems?”) | Depression-related experience questions |
|---|---|
| Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless | Could you describe your general mood in the past 2 weeks? Has your mood been higher or lower than usual? Are there any particular emotions that you have been feeling a lot lately? |
| Little interest or pleasure in doing things | Take a moment to think about things you usually enjoy. How would you describe your level of interest in these things in the past 2 weeks? Has it been higher or lower than usual? |
| Poor appetite or overeating | How have you been eating in the past 2 weeks? Is there anything that has been different compared to usual (e.g., eating more or less than usual)? |
| Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much | How would you describe your sleep patterns lately? Is there anything that has been different compared to usual? |
| Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed. Or the opposite—being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual | In the past 2 weeks, has sitting still, moving, or talking been harder or easier than usual? |
| Feeling tired or having little energy | Sometimes we feel tired and exhausted, and sometimes we feel full of energy. How would you describe your energy level in the past 2 weeks? |
| Feeling bad about yourself—or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down | How have you been feeling about yourself in the past 2 weeks? |
| Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television | How would you describe your thinking, concentration, and decision-making in the past 2 weeks? Is there anything that has been harder or easier than usual? |
| Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself | Think about your life overall. Is there anything that you are particularly satisfied or dissatisfied with? |