Your PHQ-15 score shows how much 15 common physical symptoms bothered you over the past four weeks. It runs from 0 to 30, and a higher total means the symptoms bothered you more. Scores of 0 to 4 are minimal, and higher scores fall in the low, medium or high range.
What do PHQ-15 score ranges mean?
The original PHQ-15 study set cut points at 5, 10 and 15 for a complete form. Your result uses the same four ranges:
| Score | Range |
|---|---|
| 0-4 | Minimal |
| 5-9 | Low |
| 10-14 | Medium |
| 15-30 | High |
The labels describe how much the symptoms bothered you, not what caused them. A high total is not a diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder, depression, fibromyalgia or any other condition. A range is not a medical explanation or a treatment plan either.
What does the PHQ-15 ask about?
The questions cover pain, digestion, the heart and breathing, dizziness and fainting, energy, sleep, and sexual or period problems. Each answer scores 0, 1 or 2 points, depending on how much that symptom bothered you. Your total adds up those points.
The questionnaire is narrower than a medical check. It does not record every symptom, when a symptom began or what caused it. It also cannot say whether two symptoms share a cause. For urinary symptoms, the IPSS score guide covers a separate questionnaire.
What if I skipped the women-only question?
The PHQ-15 form labels its fourth question, about periods, "WOMEN ONLY." When you take the PHQ-15 here, anyone can answer that question or skip it.
If you skipped it, your total adds up your other 14 answers. Nothing is added in place of the missing answer, so your highest possible total is 28. If you answered all 15 questions, it is 30.
Can the PHQ-15 tell me what is causing my symptoms?
No. The PHQ-15 cannot tell whether a symptom is medical or psychological. Physical and mental health can affect each other. A symptom may have one cause, several causes or no clear explanation yet.
The questionnaire does not sort symptoms into "real" and "fake" groups. It records how bothered you felt.
The PHQ-8 score guide covers a separate depression score. Tiredness and sleep problems can count toward both totals, but the two questionnaires answer different questions. Do not add their scores together or convert one into the other.
Can I compare PHQ-15 scores over time?
Yes, if both totals come from the same four-week form. Check whether you answered the fourth question both times, because skipping it lowers the highest possible total. Do not adjust a 14-answer total to match a 15-answer total unless a set scoring method calls for it.
A total written down without its answers does not show whether the fourth question was answered. Keep a note of that with the score. A change in your total shows that your answers changed. It does not prove why your symptoms changed or whether a treatment worked.
What should I do next?
Look at your answers as well as your total. Note which symptoms are new, getting worse, severe or getting in the way of daily life. Medicines, recent illness, sleep and other health conditions may also matter.
Your total cannot tell you how urgent a symptom is. Get care promptly for a symptom that is new, severe or quickly getting worse. One worrying symptom can need attention even when your total is low. A low total does not make chest pain, fainting, breathing trouble or another urgent problem safe.
Share what you noticed with a doctor or other qualified healthcare professional when you need help understanding a symptom. Your PHQ-15 range cannot choose medical tests, a mental health assessment, treatment or when to repeat the questionnaire. If you decide together to track your symptoms, you can take the PHQ-15 again later.