---
title: "PHQ-2"
description: "Yet another measure in the PHQ (Patient Health Questionnaire) set, alongside the PHQ-4 and much more widely known (at least in the UK) PHQ-9. #### Details It consists of just two items from the PHQ-9 with the stem of all…"
url: "https://www.psyctc.org/psyctc/glossary2/phq-2/"
updated: "2026-06-01"
category: All OM book glossary entries
---

# PHQ-2

Yet another measure in the PHQ (Patient Health Questionnaire) set, alongside the PHQ-4 and much more widely known (at least in the UK) PHQ-9.

#### Details

It consists of just two items from the PHQ-9 with the stem of all the PHQ measures: "Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems?" The two items are: "Little interest or pleasure in doing things" and "Feeling down, depressed or hopeless" and, again in line with all the PHQ measures the scoring is on a four point scale: "Not at all", "Several days", "More than half the days" and "Nearly every day" scored 0, 1, 2 and 3 so the score range is from zero to six. It is described as a screening measure but its screening parameters, even in use where depression is very prevalent, will be terrible and clearly the score range is very limited for any use.

Why have we got into, in the 21st Century, this love affair with ultra short measures?! Hm, that's for another entry Christopher!!

#### Try also

- [GAD-2](https://www.psyctc.org/psyctc/glossary2/gad-2/)
- [PHQ-4](https://www.psyctc.org/psyctc/glossary2/phq-4/)
- [PHQ-9](https://www.psyctc.org/psyctc/glossary2/phq-9-patient-health-questionnaire-9-items/)
- [Screening](https://www.psyctc.org/psyctc/glossary2/screening/)

#### Chapters

Not covered in the OMbook.

#### Online resources

Currently one of [my shiny apps](https://shiny.psyctc.org/) models screening: [https://shiny.psyctc.org/apps/Screening/](https://shiny.psyctc.org/apps/Screening/). More to be done on that!

#### Dates

First created 23.v.26, tweaks 24.v.26.