PHQ-9 & GAD-7: Outcome Measures Every Therapist Should Track

PHQ-9: measuring depression severity

The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is a 9-item self-report that screens for depression and tracks severity. Clients rate how often they've been bothered by each symptom over the past two weeks, from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day).

Scores range from 0–27: 0–4 minimal, 5–9 mild, 10–14 moderate, 15–19 moderately severe, and 20–27 severe. A score of 10 or higher is the typical clinical cut-off for probable major depression, and item 9 screens for suicidal ideation.

GAD-7: measuring anxiety severity

The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) is a 7-item self-report covering core anxiety symptoms over the past two weeks, using the same 0–3 scale. Scores range from 0–21: 0–4 minimal, 5–9 mild, 10–14 moderate, and 15–21 severe.

The GAD-7 is quick to administer and highly sensitive to change, which makes it ideal for tracking progress session to session.

How often to administer

• Baseline at intake, before the first treatment planning session.
• Every 2–4 weeks for clients in active treatment.
• At treatment milestones, plan reviews, and discharge.
• Immediately if symptoms worsen or risk concerns arise.

Tracking progress visually

Raw scores are most useful when plotted over time. A downward trend in PHQ-9 or GAD-7 scores provides objective evidence of improvement, which supports treatment plans, payer documentation, and conversations with clients about progress.

Platforms like Therazent store outcome scores and chart them over time, so you can spot plateaus or worsening trends at a glance instead of digging through paper forms.