Your QIDS-SR-16 result runs from 0 to 27. The form prints sixteen items, but a standard response has fourteen selections and the score uses nine symptom domains. Most questions cover the past seven days, while the weight questions use two weeks. The total describes symptom severity. It does not diagnose depression.
What the score bands mean
The published scoring method supports the 0-to-27 range and five bands below.
| Score | Severity |
|---|---|
| 0-5 | Very low symptom range |
| 6-10 | Mild |
| 11-15 | Moderate |
| 16-20 | Severe |
| 21-27 | Very severe |
The source convention often calls 0 to 5 “none.” Survey Doctor uses “Very low symptom range” because a low total cannot rule out depression or another concern. The other labels also describe reported symptoms rather than a diagnosis.
Band edges are not sharp clinical borders. A one-point change can move a score from 10 to 11 or from 15 to 16. That move changes the label but does not prove that a condition appeared or worsened.
Why sixteen items produce a maximum of 27
The QIDS does not add all sixteen item values. Instead, it scores nine symptom domains from 0 to 3 and adds those nine domain values.
For sleep, appetite and weight, and movement changes, the highest applicable answer in each group counts. The other six domains contribute one value each. Nine domains multiplied by a maximum of 3 gives the 27-point ceiling.
The form also uses two either-or pairs. You choose one appetite-direction item and one weight-direction item, so a complete standard response contains fourteen selections rather than sixteen. The QIDS assessment guide explains those response rules in more detail.
A plain sum of every selected item is not a valid QIDS-SR-16 score.
Recall periods are not identical
Most items ask about the past seven days. The two weight items ask about the past two weeks. That exception is part of the source form.
When you compare results, use the same form and recall instructions. Do not assume that a QIDS total and a PHQ-9 score describe identical time windows or symptom weighting, even though both totals can reach 27.
One answer needs separate attention
Question 12 asks about thoughts of death or suicide. Any answer above zero matters on its own, whatever the total or severity band.
Survey Doctor can evaluate that answer after a native item-level response. A manually entered total or imported score summary does not include question 12, so safety status is unknown for those records.
If you may harm yourself or feel unable to stay safe, seek immediate help rather than waiting for another questionnaire.
If you need help now. In the US, Call 988 or text 988. Call 911 if you are in immediate danger. Outside the US, contact your local emergency number or find support in your country.
Manual and imported totals
Manual entry accepts one whole-number QIDS total from 0 to 27. It is score-only. Confirm that the source used all nine domains and the highest-value rule before treating the number as a current QIDS result.
Some older imported summaries were created with incompatible scoring and incomplete provenance. They can exceed the valid 0-to-27 range. Survey Doctor shows their saved numbers in reports and trend charts but does not give them a severity band.
Do not treat an imported summary as equivalent to a native or verified manual result. The numbers may describe different calculations.
What the score cannot decide
The QIDS describes recent depression symptoms. It cannot identify their cause, rule out another condition, or choose treatment. Sleep disruption, illness, grief, medicine effects, and other circumstances can affect the answers.
The scale also does not set one repeat schedule or universal improvement threshold. A lower score does not by itself prove recovery, and a stable total can hide changes in individual domains.
Bring the total and item answers to a qualified provider when possible. Discuss what happened during the recall period, how symptoms affected daily life, and whether the result fits your experience.
The bottom line
A valid QIDS-SR-16 result is a 0-to-27 sum of nine domain values, not a plain sum of sixteen items. Read the total within its own five bands, respond to question 12 separately, and verify the scoring source before comparing manual or imported records.