Patient Health Questionnarie (PHQ-9) Modified for Teens
~3 Minutes to Administer
No Training to Administer
Free / No Cost
What It Measures
The PHQ-9 Modified for Teens takes the adult depression questionnaire and reworks it for adolescents — same nine symptoms, wording adjusted, plus additional questions that matter more at this age.
The nine core items ask how often each symptom has occurred over the past two weeks, rated 0 to 3 for a total out of 27. Beyond those, the modified version adds questions on persistent low mood lasting most of the past year, suicidal thoughts in the past month, and any suicide attempt over the whole of the young person's life. Those additions are the point: an adolescent can score below the depression threshold on the nine items and still answer yes to a past attempt.
Additional Notes
Licensing Notes: Like the parent PHQ-9, it is freely reproducible.