The PHQ-15 records how much 15 physical symptoms bothered you during the past four weeks. Its total describes reported symptom burden. It cannot identify the cause, decide whether a symptom is medical or psychological, determine urgency, or diagnose a condition. The item-completion context matters too.
The quick answer
The original PHQ-15 study established a complete-form total from 0 to 30 and cut points at 5, 10, and 15. Survey Doctor displays these ranges:
| Score | Current display label |
|---|---|
| 0-4 | Minimal |
| 5-9 | Low |
| 10-14 | Medium |
| 15-30 | High |
These labels organize symptom-burden totals. They are not diagnoses, medical explanations, or treatment instructions. One concerning symptom may need attention even when the sum is low.
A range cannot triage.
What the questions cover
The questionnaire asks about symptoms across several areas, including pain, digestion, circulation and breathing, energy, sleep, and sexual or menstrual concerns. Each answer contributes 0, 1, or 2 points according to how much the symptom bothered you.
That is narrower than a medical assessment. The total does not record every symptom, identify when one began, or show what caused it. It also cannot decide whether two symptoms share the same cause.
The optional fourth item changes the range
The administered PHQ-15 form labels its fourth item “WOMEN ONLY.” Survey Doctor shows that label but does not infer eligibility from a person's profile. The item is optional and appears to everyone.
If that item is skipped, Survey Doctor sums the other 14 answers without estimating a replacement value. The highest attainable total is then 28. If all 15 items are answered, the highest total is 30.
The denominator changes.
Before comparing two results, check whether the fourth item was available and answered both times. Do not turn a 14-item sum into a 15-item equivalent unless a defined scoring protocol calls for it.
Comparability can disappear.
Why manual total entry is unavailable
Survey Doctor does not allow a PHQ-15 total to be entered without the item answers. A score alone cannot show whether the optional item was answered, so the platform could not reconstruct the denominator or the attainable maximum reliably.
An outside record that contains only a PHQ-15 number needs its form and completion notes beside it. Without them, a total of 20 may still be a valid recorded sum, but its item opportunity is unknown.
Keep the context with it.
Symptom burden is not a cause
Physical and mental health can affect each other. A symptom may have one cause, several causes, or no established explanation yet. The PHQ-15 does not sort experiences into “real” and “fake” groups. It records how bothered you felt.
A high total does not diagnose somatic symptom disorder, depression, fibromyalgia, or another condition. A low total does not make chest pain, fainting, breathing trouble, or another urgent concern safe.
The symptom comes first.
The PHQ-8 score guide covers a separate depression symptom total. Fatigue and sleep concerns can contribute to both questionnaires, but the measures answer different questions. Their scores cannot be added or converted.
Using the result
Symptoms need context.
Review the answers as well as the total. Note which symptoms are new, worsening, severe, or interfering with daily life. Medicines, recent illness, sleep, health conditions, and other context may also matter.
Share that information with a qualified healthcare professional when you need help understanding a symptom. The PHQ-15 range cannot choose a medical workup, mental health assessment, treatment, or repeat schedule.
Repeated totals can describe change when the same form and fourth-item rule were used. A difference does not prove why symptoms changed or whether treatment worked.
The bottom line
The PHQ-15 summarizes how bothered you were by selected physical symptoms over four weeks. Its ranges describe burden, not cause, diagnosis, urgency, or treatment.
Check the fourth-item context before comparing totals. Then use the individual symptoms and their circumstances in the healthcare conversation.