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Prevention focus: which self-assessment questionnaire for mental health?

Prevention focus: which self-assessment questionnaire for mental health?

Prevention focus: which self-assessment questionnaire for mental health?

Aug 21, 2026

4 minutes

Prevention focus

Table of contents

Table of contents

Utility of questionnaires

Choice of tools

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PHQ-9, GAD-7, HADS, WHO-5… which self-questionnaires should be used to support the identification of mental health disorders?

One patient consults for persistent fatigue. Another mentions recurrent headaches. A third simply talks about a lack of energy, sleeping difficulties, or a loss of interest for several weeks.

These symptoms can have many causes. But they can also be accompanied by anxiety, a depressive episode, or psychological distress that is not necessarily expressed spontaneously during the consultation.

And the stakes are far from marginal.

In France, 15.6% of adults aged 18 to 79 experienced a major depressive episode in 2024, representing nearly one in six adults. Among those affected, 44% did not receive any care related to their mental health. The general practitioner remains the first professional consulted when care is sought. (1)

Anxiety is also common: 6.3% of adults aged 18 to 79 were affected by a generalized anxiety disorder in 2024, and nearly 30% of them did not seek any care for their mental health. (2)

The impact on the healthcare system is also considerable. In 2024, psychiatric illnesses and treatments accounted for 29.1 billion euros in expenses reimbursed by the Health Insurance, representing approximately 14% of all expenses analysed in its medicalised mapping. (3)

In this context, self-questionnaires can help structure the identification of certain symptoms and facilitate their exploration with the patient.

PHQ-9, GAD-7, HADS, WHO-5… which tool to use and in which situation?

Why use a self-assessment questionnaire in mental health?

Psychological symptoms are not always expressed directly during consultations.

A patient does not necessarily come in saying: "I think I am depressed" or "I suffer from anxiety".

They may instead mention:

fatigue;
sleep disturbances;
a loss of energy;
difficulty concentrating;
irritability;
recurring physical pain or symptoms;
a loss of interest;
or simply the feeling of not feeling like themselves anymore.

A standardized self-assessment questionnaire can then help structure and quantify certain symptoms.

In particular, it can make it possible to:

identify symptoms that would not have been spontaneously mentioned;
assess their intensity;
have a baseline reference for follow-up;
facilitate communication with the patient;
identify situations requiring a more in-depth evaluation.

But one rule remains essential:

A score alone does not constitute a diagnosis.

The High Authority for Health (Haute Autorité de Santé) points out in particular that depression assessment tools must complement and not replace clinical experience and judgment. (4)

Why use a self-assessment questionnaire in mental health?

Psychological symptoms are not always expressed directly during consultations.

A patient does not necessarily come in saying: "I think I am depressed" or "I suffer from anxiety".

They may instead mention:

fatigue;
sleep disturbances;
a loss of energy;
difficulty concentrating;
irritability;
recurring physical pain or symptoms;
a loss of interest;
or simply the feeling of not feeling like themselves anymore.

A standardized self-assessment questionnaire can then help structure and quantify certain symptoms.

In particular, it can make it possible to:

identify symptoms that would not have been spontaneously mentioned;
assess their intensity;
have a baseline reference for follow-up;
facilitate communication with the patient;
identify situations requiring a more in-depth evaluation.

But one rule remains essential:

A score alone does not constitute a diagnosis.

The High Authority for Health (Haute Autorité de Santé) points out in particular that depression assessment tools must complement and not replace clinical experience and judgment. (4)

The PHQ-9 - Patient Health Questionnaire-9

The PHQ-9 is one of the most widely used self-questionnaires to assess the presence and severity of depressive symptoms.

It consists of 9 questions, corresponding to the main symptoms used to characterise a depressive episode, and covers the past two weeks.

Each response is scored from 0 to 3, for a total score ranging from 0 to 27. Cut-offs of 5, 10, 15, and 20 are commonly used to describe increasing levels of depressive symptoms. (5)

In its initial validation study, a score of 10 or higher had a sensitivity and specificity of 88% for detecting major depression in the study population. However, these performances do not mean that a score of ≥ 10 is sufficient to make a diagnosis. (5)

The HAS recommends the PHQ-9 to specify the presence and severity of depressive symptoms and states that it can be used for screening and monitoring. Nevertheless, it points out that severity must be assessed in conjunction with functional impairment and clinical interview. (4)

Why use it?

It is particularly useful when you want to:

screen for depressive symptoms;
quantify their severity;
have a reproducible measurement during follow-up.

Important point of vigilance

The ninth item of the PHQ-9 focuses on thoughts of death or self-harm.

A positive response to this item alone is not sufficient to assess suicide risk. It must lead to a direct and appropriate clinical evaluation of the situation. Suicide risk screening tools should not be interpreted in isolation. (6)

Access the questionnaire

PHQ Screeners – PHQ-9 and available translations

The PHQ-2 - a first assessment in two questions

The PHQ-2 uses the first two questions of the PHQ-9:

loss of interest or pleasure;
depressed mood.

It also covers the past two weeks.

It is therefore not simply a shortened version designed to measure the same thing with the same precision, but rather a very brief tool for initial assessment.

In its initial validation study, a score of ≥ 3 had a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 92% for identifying major depression. (7)

Why use it?

The PHQ-2 can be useful when a very short initial screening is needed.

If the result is positive or if the clinical context warrants it, the assessment can then be deepened, notably with the PHQ-9 and, above all, through a clinical interview.

Access the questionnaire

The PHQ-2 corresponds to the first two items of the PHQ-9 and is part of the PHQ tool family.

The GAD-7 - Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7

The GAD-7 is a 7-item self-questionnaire developed to identify probable cases of generalized anxiety disorder and measure the severity of anxiety symptoms. (8)

It asks patients about the frequency of various symptoms over the past two weeks:

feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge;
not being able to stop or control worrying;
worrying too much about different things;
trouble relaxing;
being so restless that it is hard to sit still;
becoming easily annoyed or irritable;
feeling afraid as if something awful might happen.

The score ranges from 0 to 21.

A cut-off of 10 is frequently used to draw attention to significant symptoms.

Why use it?

It is particularly suitable when persistent anxiety is suspected and also allows for tracking the evolution of symptoms over time.

Performance depends on the context

The GAD-7 is very widely used, but its performance is not identical in all populations.

A Cochrane review published in 2025, involving 48 studies and over 19,000 participants, confirms that the GAD-7 and GAD-2 are among the most frequently used anxiety questionnaires. For the GAD-7 at a cut-off of 10, the average sensitivity for detecting a generalized anxiety disorder was approximately 64% and the specificity was 91%. However, the authors point out high heterogeneity between the populations and contexts studied. (9)

In other words: the score helps identify, but does not decide on its own.

Access the questionnaire

PHQ Screeners – GAD-7 and available translations

The GAD-2

The GAD-2 uses the first two items of the GAD-7: feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge and trouble controlling worry.

Like the PHQ-2, it is particularly useful for performing a very rapid initial screening.

A cut-off of 3 is commonly used to decide on further exploration. (9)

The 2025 Cochrane review also found diagnostic performance overall close to that of the GAD-7, while again highlighting significant variations depending on the population. (9)

Access the questionnaire

GAD-7 / GAD-2 resources via PHQ Screeners

The HADS - Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was developed in 1983 to screen for anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients consulting for somatic conditions. (10)

It is indeed a self-questionnaire.

It contains 14 items:

7 assessing anxiety symptoms;
7 assessing depressive symptoms.

One of its characteristics is that it was designed to limit the influence of certain physical symptoms that could be linked either to a somatic illness or to depression/anxiety.

This explains its frequent use in patients with chronic illnesses or managed in hospital wards.

The HADS has also been studied in French populations, notably among more than 20,000 employees, showing psychometric properties consistent with its anxiety-depression structure. (11)

Why use it?

It is particularly interesting when one wishes to simultaneously explore anxiety and depressive symptoms, especially in a patient who also has a somatic disease.

Beware of usage rights

Unlike the PHQ-9 or GAD-7, the HADS is not a free-to-use questionnaire.

The original scale and its translations are protected by copyright. Its use, and particularly its integration into certain digital tools, requires verifying license terms with the rights holder. (12)

Access the questionnaire

HADS – official information, translations, and terms of use via ePROVIDE

The WHO-5 - measuring well-being rather than directly looking for symptoms

The WHO-5 Well-Being Index adopts a different approach.

It does not directly seek to measure anxiety or depression. Instead, it measures mental well-being experienced over the past two weeks through five positive statements. (13)

It is indeed a self-questionnaire, or self-report instrument according to the WHO.

The raw score ranges from 0 to 25, with higher scores corresponding to better well-being. It can also be converted to a score from 0 to 100.

The WHO indicates that a raw score below 13, i.e., less than 50 out of 100, has been proposed as a threshold indicating a low level of well-being, which may justify further assessment. (13)

Why use it?

Its positive approach can be particularly interesting:

in prevention;
in monitoring a patient;
when one wishes to address mental health without starting directly with psychiatric symptoms;
to track the evolution of well-being over time.

Beware of terms of use

Since 2024, the WHO publishes the WHO-5 as an open-access tool under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO licence.

This licence notably provides for non-commercial use. For integration into a commercial product or service, terms of use with the WHO must therefore be verified. (13)

Access the questionnaire

Official WHO-5 published by the World Health Organization

Other questionnaires can also be useful

These four tool families obviously do not cover all of mental health.

Depending on the clinical situation, other questionnaires can be used.

DASS-21

The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) is a 21-item self-questionnaire assessing three dimensions: depression, anxiety, and stress.

This is the short version of the DASS-42. The questionnaire is presented by its authors as a self-administered instrument and its forms are freely accessible, subject to respecting their terms of use. (14)

PSS - Perceived Stress Scale

The Perceived Stress Scale measures the level of perceived stress, i.e., how a person perceives certain situations in their life as unpredictable, uncontrollable, or difficult to manage.

It is not a diagnostic tool and its authors specify that there is no universal diagnostic threshold. (15)

Terms of use and reproduction must be verified with Mapi Research Trust.

K6 and K10

The Kessler K6 and K10 scales are used to assess non-specific psychological distress.

They exist in both self-administered and interviewer-administered versions. They are particularly used in epidemiological and public health surveys. (16)

BDI-II - Beck Depression Inventory-II

The BDI-II is indeed a self-assessment questionnaire designed to measure the severity of depressive symptoms.

It contains 21 items and can be self-administered. However, it is a proprietary tool marketed by Pearson, and its use therefore requires compliance with licensing conditions. (17)

BDI-II – Pearson Assessments

And the MINI?

The MINI - Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview appeared in the initial version of this list, but it should not be presented as a self-questionnaire.

It is a structured psychiatric diagnostic interview designed to explore multiple psychiatric diagnoses according to standardized criteria. (18)

It therefore serves a different function from the PHQ-9, GAD-7, or WHO-5.

The PHQ-9 - Patient Health Questionnaire-9

The PHQ-9 is one of the most widely used self-questionnaires to assess the presence and severity of depressive symptoms.

It consists of 9 questions, corresponding to the main symptoms used to characterise a depressive episode, and covers the past two weeks.

Each response is scored from 0 to 3, for a total score ranging from 0 to 27. Cut-offs of 5, 10, 15, and 20 are commonly used to describe increasing levels of depressive symptoms. (5)

In its initial validation study, a score of 10 or higher had a sensitivity and specificity of 88% for detecting major depression in the study population. However, these performances do not mean that a score of ≥ 10 is sufficient to make a diagnosis. (5)

The HAS recommends the PHQ-9 to specify the presence and severity of depressive symptoms and states that it can be used for screening and monitoring. Nevertheless, it points out that severity must be assessed in conjunction with functional impairment and clinical interview. (4)

Why use it?

It is particularly useful when you want to:

screen for depressive symptoms;
quantify their severity;
have a reproducible measurement during follow-up.

Important point of vigilance

The ninth item of the PHQ-9 focuses on thoughts of death or self-harm.

A positive response to this item alone is not sufficient to assess suicide risk. It must lead to a direct and appropriate clinical evaluation of the situation. Suicide risk screening tools should not be interpreted in isolation. (6)

Access the questionnaire

PHQ Screeners – PHQ-9 and available translations

The PHQ-2 - a first assessment in two questions

The PHQ-2 uses the first two questions of the PHQ-9:

loss of interest or pleasure;
depressed mood.

It also covers the past two weeks.

It is therefore not simply a shortened version designed to measure the same thing with the same precision, but rather a very brief tool for initial assessment.

In its initial validation study, a score of ≥ 3 had a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 92% for identifying major depression. (7)

Why use it?

The PHQ-2 can be useful when a very short initial screening is needed.

If the result is positive or if the clinical context warrants it, the assessment can then be deepened, notably with the PHQ-9 and, above all, through a clinical interview.

Access the questionnaire

The PHQ-2 corresponds to the first two items of the PHQ-9 and is part of the PHQ tool family.

The GAD-7 - Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7

The GAD-7 is a 7-item self-questionnaire developed to identify probable cases of generalized anxiety disorder and measure the severity of anxiety symptoms. (8)

It asks patients about the frequency of various symptoms over the past two weeks:

feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge;
not being able to stop or control worrying;
worrying too much about different things;
trouble relaxing;
being so restless that it is hard to sit still;
becoming easily annoyed or irritable;
feeling afraid as if something awful might happen.

The score ranges from 0 to 21.

A cut-off of 10 is frequently used to draw attention to significant symptoms.

Why use it?

It is particularly suitable when persistent anxiety is suspected and also allows for tracking the evolution of symptoms over time.

Performance depends on the context

The GAD-7 is very widely used, but its performance is not identical in all populations.

A Cochrane review published in 2025, involving 48 studies and over 19,000 participants, confirms that the GAD-7 and GAD-2 are among the most frequently used anxiety questionnaires. For the GAD-7 at a cut-off of 10, the average sensitivity for detecting a generalized anxiety disorder was approximately 64% and the specificity was 91%. However, the authors point out high heterogeneity between the populations and contexts studied. (9)

In other words: the score helps identify, but does not decide on its own.

Access the questionnaire

PHQ Screeners – GAD-7 and available translations

The GAD-2

The GAD-2 uses the first two items of the GAD-7: feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge and trouble controlling worry.

Like the PHQ-2, it is particularly useful for performing a very rapid initial screening.

A cut-off of 3 is commonly used to decide on further exploration. (9)

The 2025 Cochrane review also found diagnostic performance overall close to that of the GAD-7, while again highlighting significant variations depending on the population. (9)

Access the questionnaire

GAD-7 / GAD-2 resources via PHQ Screeners

The HADS - Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was developed in 1983 to screen for anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients consulting for somatic conditions. (10)

It is indeed a self-questionnaire.

It contains 14 items:

7 assessing anxiety symptoms;
7 assessing depressive symptoms.

One of its characteristics is that it was designed to limit the influence of certain physical symptoms that could be linked either to a somatic illness or to depression/anxiety.

This explains its frequent use in patients with chronic illnesses or managed in hospital wards.

The HADS has also been studied in French populations, notably among more than 20,000 employees, showing psychometric properties consistent with its anxiety-depression structure. (11)

Why use it?

It is particularly interesting when one wishes to simultaneously explore anxiety and depressive symptoms, especially in a patient who also has a somatic disease.

Beware of usage rights

Unlike the PHQ-9 or GAD-7, the HADS is not a free-to-use questionnaire.

The original scale and its translations are protected by copyright. Its use, and particularly its integration into certain digital tools, requires verifying license terms with the rights holder. (12)

Access the questionnaire

HADS – official information, translations, and terms of use via ePROVIDE

The WHO-5 - measuring well-being rather than directly looking for symptoms

The WHO-5 Well-Being Index adopts a different approach.

It does not directly seek to measure anxiety or depression. Instead, it measures mental well-being experienced over the past two weeks through five positive statements. (13)

It is indeed a self-questionnaire, or self-report instrument according to the WHO.

The raw score ranges from 0 to 25, with higher scores corresponding to better well-being. It can also be converted to a score from 0 to 100.

The WHO indicates that a raw score below 13, i.e., less than 50 out of 100, has been proposed as a threshold indicating a low level of well-being, which may justify further assessment. (13)

Why use it?

Its positive approach can be particularly interesting:

in prevention;
in monitoring a patient;
when one wishes to address mental health without starting directly with psychiatric symptoms;
to track the evolution of well-being over time.

Beware of terms of use

Since 2024, the WHO publishes the WHO-5 as an open-access tool under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO licence.

This licence notably provides for non-commercial use. For integration into a commercial product or service, terms of use with the WHO must therefore be verified. (13)

Access the questionnaire

Official WHO-5 published by the World Health Organization

Other questionnaires can also be useful

These four tool families obviously do not cover all of mental health.

Depending on the clinical situation, other questionnaires can be used.

DASS-21

The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) is a 21-item self-questionnaire assessing three dimensions: depression, anxiety, and stress.

This is the short version of the DASS-42. The questionnaire is presented by its authors as a self-administered instrument and its forms are freely accessible, subject to respecting their terms of use. (14)

PSS - Perceived Stress Scale

The Perceived Stress Scale measures the level of perceived stress, i.e., how a person perceives certain situations in their life as unpredictable, uncontrollable, or difficult to manage.

It is not a diagnostic tool and its authors specify that there is no universal diagnostic threshold. (15)

Terms of use and reproduction must be verified with Mapi Research Trust.

K6 and K10

The Kessler K6 and K10 scales are used to assess non-specific psychological distress.

They exist in both self-administered and interviewer-administered versions. They are particularly used in epidemiological and public health surveys. (16)

BDI-II - Beck Depression Inventory-II

The BDI-II is indeed a self-assessment questionnaire designed to measure the severity of depressive symptoms.

It contains 21 items and can be self-administered. However, it is a proprietary tool marketed by Pearson, and its use therefore requires compliance with licensing conditions. (17)

BDI-II – Pearson Assessments

And the MINI?

The MINI - Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview appeared in the initial version of this list, but it should not be presented as a self-questionnaire.

It is a structured psychiatric diagnostic interview designed to explore multiple psychiatric diagnoses according to standardized criteria. (18)

It therefore serves a different function from the PHQ-9, GAD-7, or WHO-5.

Which self-questionnaire to choose?

There is no single tool suitable for all situations.

Self-questionnaire	Main objective	Number of items	Main value
PHQ-2	Initial screening for depressive symptoms	2	Very rapid screening
PHQ-9	Depressive symptoms and their severity	9	Screening and monitoring
GAD-2	Initial screening for anxiety symptoms	2	Very rapid screening
GAD-7	Generalized anxiety symptoms	7	Screening and monitoring
HADS	Anxiety + depressive symptoms	14	Useful in the context of somatic pathology
WHO-5	Mental well-being	5	Prevention and monitoring of well-being

In practice, the choice depends primarily on the clinical question being asked.

If the objective is rapid initial screening, the PHQ-2 or GAD-2 may suffice as a first step.

If a more in-depth assessment of depressive or anxiety symptoms is required, the PHQ-9 or GAD-7 allows for a more detailed evaluation.

For a patient with a somatic pathology, the HADS can be useful as it was specifically designed for this context.

Finally, the WHO-5 allows the subject to be approached from the more general perspective of psychological well-being.

A high score is never sufficient on its own

This is probably the most important point to remember.

These questionnaires can aid in screening, but they also produce false positives and false negatives.

A high score must be interpreted in light of:

the patient's history;
the duration and progression of symptoms;
their impact on daily life;
any potential somatic pathologies;
medications or substances used;
the possible presence of a manic or hypomanic episode;
the psychosocial context;
and, where relevant, suicidal risk.

The HAS thus points out that the PHQ-9 should complement the clinician's judgment and that severity scores are only one element of the evaluation. (4)

Which self-questionnaire to choose?

There is no single tool suitable for all situations.

Self-questionnaire	Main objective	Number of items	Main value
PHQ-2	Initial screening for depressive symptoms	2	Very rapid screening
PHQ-9	Depressive symptoms and their severity	9	Screening and monitoring
GAD-2	Initial screening for anxiety symptoms	2	Very rapid screening
GAD-7	Generalized anxiety symptoms	7	Screening and monitoring
HADS	Anxiety + depressive symptoms	14	Useful in the context of somatic pathology
WHO-5	Mental well-being	5	Prevention and monitoring of well-being

In practice, the choice depends primarily on the clinical question being asked.

If the objective is rapid initial screening, the PHQ-2 or GAD-2 may suffice as a first step.

If a more in-depth assessment of depressive or anxiety symptoms is required, the PHQ-9 or GAD-7 allows for a more detailed evaluation.

For a patient with a somatic pathology, the HADS can be useful as it was specifically designed for this context.

Finally, the WHO-5 allows the subject to be approached from the more general perspective of psychological well-being.

A high score is never sufficient on its own

This is probably the most important point to remember.

These questionnaires can aid in screening, but they also produce false positives and false negatives.

A high score must be interpreted in light of:

the patient's history;
the duration and progression of symptoms;
their impact on daily life;
any potential somatic pathologies;
medications or substances used;
the possible presence of a manic or hypomanic episode;
the psychosocial context;
and, where relevant, suicidal risk.

The HAS thus points out that the PHQ-9 should complement the clinician's judgment and that severity scores are only one element of the evaluation. (4)

How can these self-questionnaires be integrated without lengthening the consultation?

Mental health can sometimes be difficult to address directly.

Some patients may find it easier to answer a few standardised questions at home before their appointment, rather than spontaneously raising certain difficulties at the start of the consultation.

When a self-questionnaire is completed ahead of the consultation, the professional can have access to the following from the very start of the appointment:

the completed questionnaire;
the corresponding score;
the answers requiring specific attention;
and their progress when the questionnaire has already been used before.

The aim is not to replace the clinical dialogue with a score, but on the contrary, to use this score to better guide the discussion.

This approach, however, requires special care in mental health. When a questionnaire can reveal an urgent situation or suicidal thoughts, its digital use must be accompanied by a pathway that ensures this information is identified and appropriately assessed.

At Aldebaran, smart pre-consultation questionnaires can include self-questionnaires tailored to the patient's profile and the context of the consultation. The responses and scores can be structured and summarised to help the healthcare professional quickly identify the key points to explore during the interview.

The integration of a questionnaire must also take into account its usage rights: not all clinical tools can be freely reproduced or integrated into a digital service.

How can these self-questionnaires be integrated without lengthening the consultation?

Mental health can sometimes be difficult to address directly.

Some patients may find it easier to answer a few standardised questions at home before their appointment, rather than spontaneously raising certain difficulties at the start of the consultation.

When a self-questionnaire is completed ahead of the consultation, the professional can have access to the following from the very start of the appointment:

the completed questionnaire;
the corresponding score;
the answers requiring specific attention;
and their progress when the questionnaire has already been used before.

The aim is not to replace the clinical dialogue with a score, but on the contrary, to use this score to better guide the discussion.

This approach, however, requires special care in mental health. When a questionnaire can reveal an urgent situation or suicidal thoughts, its digital use must be accompanied by a pathway that ensures this information is identified and appropriately assessed.

At Aldebaran, smart pre-consultation questionnaires can include self-questionnaires tailored to the patient's profile and the context of the consultation. The responses and scores can be structured and summarised to help the healthcare professional quickly identify the key points to explore during the interview.

The integration of a questionnaire must also take into account its usage rights: not all clinical tools can be freely reproduced or integrated into a digital service.

Conclusion

Mental health self-questionnaires can be simple and useful tools to better identify certain symptoms before or during a consultation.

The PHQ-9 and PHQ-2 allow for the exploration of depressive symptoms. The GAD-7 and GAD-2 focus on anxiety. The HADS simultaneously explores anxiety and depressive symptoms and is of particular interest in patients who also have a somatic pathology. Finally, the WHO-5 takes a different approach by assessing psychological well-being.

However, they are not intended to replace the clinical interview.

Their value lies mainly in their ability to bring information to light, structure it, and facilitate dialogue with the patient.

Used prior to the consultation and interpreted by a healthcare professional, they can thus help to more easily integrate mental health into prevention and routine care.

(1) Santé publique France. Depressive episodes: prevalence and healthcare utilisation. Santé publique France Barometer: results of the 2024 edition.
(2) Santé publique France. Generalized anxiety disorder: prevalence and healthcare utilisation. Santé publique France Barometer: results of the 2024 edition.
(3) Caisse nationale de l’Assurance Maladie. Barthélémy P. et al. The drivers of health expenditure growth from 2015 to 2024: a medicalised analysis.
(4) Haute Autorité de Santé. Characterised depressive episode in adults: management in primary care – Diagnosis. October 2017.
(5) Kroenke K., Spitzer R.L., Williams J.B.W. The PHQ-9: Validity of a Brief Depression Severity Measure. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2001;16(9):606-613.
(6) Department of Veterans Affairs / Department of Defense. VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Assessment and Management of Patients at Risk for Suicide. 2024.
(7) Kroenke K., Spitzer R.L., Williams J.B.W. The Patient Health Questionnaire-2: Validity of a Two-Item Depression Screener. Medical Care, 2003;41(11):1284-1292.
(8) Spitzer R.L., Kroenke K., Williams J.B.W., Löwe B. A Brief Measure for Assessing Generalized Anxiety Disorder: The GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2006;166(10):1092-1097.
9) Aktürk Z. et al. Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) and 2-item (GAD-2) scales for detecting anxiety disorders in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2025. Review of 48 studies and 19,228 participants.
(10) Zigmond A.S., Snaith R.P. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 1983;67(6):361-370.
(11) Bocéréan C., Dupret E. A validation study of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) in a large sample of French employees. BMC Psychiatry, 2014;14:354.
(12) Mapi Research Trust. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) – instrument information and conditions of use.
(13) World Health Organization. The World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5). 2024.
(14) University of New South Wales / Psychology Foundation of Australia. Depression Anxiety Stress Scales - DASS.
(15) Cohen S., Kamarck T., Mermelstein R. A Global Measure of Perceived Stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 1983;24(4):385-396. Founding article of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS).
(16) Kessler R.C. et al. K6 and K10 Scales. The K6 and K10 scales assess non-specific psychological distress and are available in self-administered and interviewer-administered versions. Harvard University.
(17) Beck A.T., Steer R.A., Brown G.K. Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Pearson Assessments, 1996. A 21-item self-administered questionnaire designed to measure the severity of depressive symptoms; its use is subject to Pearson's commercial terms.
(18) Sheehan D.V. et al. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.): The Development and Validation of a Structured Diagnostic Psychiatric Interview for DSM-IV and ICD-10. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 1998;59(Suppl 20):22-33. The MINI is a structured diagnostic interview and not a self-administered questionnaire.

FAQ

Can a self-questionnaire diagnose depression or an anxiety disorder?

Which questionnaire should be used to screen for depression?

What is the difference between the PHQ-2 and the PHQ-9?

What is the difference between GAD-7 and GAD-2?

What is the difference between the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7?

Why use the HADS in a patient with a chronic illness?

Why offer these self-questionnaires before the consultation?

FAQ

Can a self-questionnaire diagnose depression or an anxiety disorder?

Which questionnaire should be used to screen for depression?

What is the difference between the PHQ-2 and the PHQ-9?

What is the difference between GAD-7 and GAD-2?

What is the difference between the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7?

Why use the HADS in a patient with a chronic illness?

Why offer these self-questionnaires before the consultation?

FAQ

Can a self-questionnaire diagnose depression or an anxiety disorder?

Which questionnaire should be used to screen for depression?

What is the difference between the PHQ-2 and the PHQ-9?

What is the difference between GAD-7 and GAD-2?

What is the difference between the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7?

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