Which widely used mental health screening tool — nine items, often finished in under 2 minutes — was created for primary care in the late 1990s and now helps guide brief interventions and referrals? If you or someone you know is experiencing severe symptoms or thoughts of self-harm, please reach out to a licensed professional or emergency services.
Pretty sure it’s the PHQ‑9. When I’ve filled it out, I jot a quick example next to my highest‑scored item — like “little interest or pleasure in doing things” — so the follow‑up chat stays focused; if anything feels severe or urgent, I’d contact a licensed professional. Do you ever start with the PHQ‑2 and only expand if it flags something?
It’s the PHQ‑9. One thing that’s helped me is printing the free form from https://www.phqscreeners.com/ and filling it right before a visit so it truly stays in that “under 2 minutes” zone, then jotting the date and a quick context note (like poor sleep) next to the total so trends make sense… Small caveat: I try to do it at roughly the same time of day so scores are comparable; if anything feels urgent, I’d reach out to a licensed professional rather than wait.