PHQ-9 Depression Self-Check한국어

About the PHQ-9 Depression Self-Check

Author bal.pe.kr TeamReviewed by PHQ-9 standard scale (Kroenke 2001 · An 2010)Last updated bal.pe.kr

What this tool is for (purpose)

This site offers the validated 9-item PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) depression self-check, free and with no sign-up, in Korean and English. It is built for anyone who finds it hard to judge their own mood on their own: in about two minutes you get an objective score, a clear band interpretation, and — if needed — where to turn for help, all on one page. It is not a diagnostic tool but a first step to check in with yourself before seeing a professional.

Sources and validation (expertise & trust)

The items, scoring, and cutoffs here are not invented — they implement an internationally validated standard scale exactly.

  • Original source — Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JBW. The PHQ-9: Validity of a Brief Depression Severity Measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001;16(9):606-613. PubMed
  • Korean validation — An et al. (2010), standardization study of the Korean PHQ-9, using the same cutoffs as the original.
  • Scale distribution — PHQ Screeners (released by Pfizer, free for non-commercial use).
  • Public reference — Korean National Mental Health Portal (MOHW).

The cutoffs (0-4 minimal, 5-9 mild, 10-14 moderate, 15-19 moderately severe, 20-27 severe) were verified against the sources above on 2026-05-30. Crisis-line numbers (Korea: 109, 1577-0199) reflect the 2024 unified system and are updated only when the numbers change.

Operating policy and disclaimer (transparency)

This is a one-person micro SaaS in the bal.pe.kr portfolio, supported by ads only. Your answers stay only in your browser's localStorage and are never sent to any server. The result-share link encodes an answer code in the URL without touching a server, and the social-share text never reveals your score. This tool is not a medical diagnosis or treatment and does not replace evaluation by a psychiatrist. If your score is high or you have thoughts of harming yourself, contact a professional or a crisis line immediately (Korea: 109 / 1577-0199, US: 988). Questions: comsamo84@gmail.com. Back to the test