1. Instrument selection & naming
The screening questionnaire used in this tool was developed by Kroenke, Spitzer, and Williams in 2001, published in Journal of General Internal Medicine (16:606-613). It is a 9-item self-report instrument deriving directly from the 9 DSM-IV major depressive episode criteria, with each item rated 0-3 on a frequency scale over the past 2 weeks. It is the most widely-used brief depression screener in the world, with over 100,000 citations across psychology, sleep medicine, primary care, occupational health, and psychiatry.
Why this instrument over alternatives
- Brevity. 9 items completed in 2-3 minutes. Beck Depression Inventory has 21 items and is impractical for primary-care screening; Hamilton Depression Rating Scale is clinician-administered.
- Validation depth. Cronbach's α = 0.89 in original (Kroenke 2001). Sensitivity 88%, specificity 88% at cutoff ≥10 for major depression. Test-retest reliability r = 0.84.
- Standard cutpoints. 0-4 / 5-9 / 10-14 / 15-19 / 20-27 are used by NHS IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies), VA/DoD clinical practice guidelines, and APA major depressive disorder guidelines.
- Permissive licensing. Pfizer (which funded the original PRIME-MD project) explicitly grants "No permission required to reproduce, translate, display or distribute."
- Direct DSM mapping. Each of the 9 items corresponds to one of the 9 DSM major depressive episode criteria — symptom-by-symptom transparency.
- Built-in suicidality item. Item 9 captures self-harm ideation directly — this enables crisis-aware design that other depression screeners (HADS does not include this) cannot match.
Naming convention used in this tool
- Public name: "LBL Depression Test"
- Internal code: "LBL-DEP"
- Glossary entry slug:
/glossary/depression-screener/ - Academic attribution: Always credit Kroenke, Spitzer & Williams (2001) in references and methodology. First in-prose mention says "the 9-item depression screener developed by Kroenke, Spitzer & Williams (2001)"; subsequent mentions say "the screener" or "the LBL-DEP instrument."
- What we do not do: Lean on "PHQ-9" as user-facing branding. The acronym appears only inside reference list citations where it is part of the original work's title.
2. The 9 items + functional impairment item
The standard implementation includes the 9 symptom items (scored, sum 0-27) plus a 10th functional-difficulty question that is not added to the score but informs interpretation.
| # | Item | Cluster (author choice) | DSM-V criterion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Little interest or pleasure in doing things | Anhedonic | A2 (anhedonia) |
| 2 | Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless | Cognitive-emotional | A1 (depressed mood) |
| 3 | Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much | Somatic | A4 (sleep) |
| 4 | Feeling tired or having little energy | Somatic | A6 (fatigue) |
| 5 | Poor appetite or overeating | Somatic | A3 (appetite) |
| 6 | Feeling bad about yourself, or that you are a failure | Cognitive-emotional | A7 (worthlessness) |
| 7 | Trouble concentrating | Cognitive-emotional | A8 (concentration) |
| 8 | Moving/speaking slowly, or fidgety/restless (psychomotor) | Somatic | A5 (psychomotor) |
| 9 | Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself | Self-harm (singleton) | A9 (suicidality) |
Functional impairment item (not added to score):
If you checked off any problems, how difficult have these problems made it for you to do your work, take care of things at home, or get along with other people?
Response options: Not difficult at all (0) / Somewhat difficult (1) / Very difficult (2) / Extremely difficult (3). This item is captured but not summed. It informs the results copy: a moderate-band score with "extremely difficult" functional impairment is interpreted as warranting more urgent follow-up than a moderate score with "not difficult at all."
Reference period: Past 2 weeks. Response options for items 1-9: 0 = Not at all, 1 = Several days, 2 = More than half the days, 3 = Nearly every day. Total score range: 0-27.
3. Scoring algorithm
The scoring algorithm follows Kroenke 2001 directly. Pseudocode for the implementation:
The implementation is straightforward: integer addition with no weights, no missing-data imputation (the user must answer all 9 items to enable the submit button), and clear band cutoffs.
4. Five severity bands
The 5-band structure comes directly from Kroenke 2001 and is used by NHS IAPT, VA/DoD, and APA. We do not modify the cutpoints.
| Band | Score | Label | Clinical interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0-4 | Minimal depression | Symptoms unlikely clinically significant. Most adults score here. |
| 2 | 5-9 | Mild depression | Some symptoms, subthreshold for major depressive episode (MDE). Watchful waiting + self-care typical. |
| 3 | 10-14 | Moderate depression | Probable MDE per the standard ≥10 cutoff (sensitivity 88%, specificity 88%). Active treatment warranted. |
| 4 | 15-19 | Moderately severe depression | Active treatment with therapy and/or medication usually appropriate. |
| 5 | 20-27 | Severe depression | High symptom burden. Combined treatment (therapy + medication) often warranted. Professional consultation strongly recommended. |
5. The cutoff debate: ≥10 vs ≥8
The standard cutoff of ≥10 has been validated repeatedly. Manea, Gilbody & McMillan's 2012 meta-analysis of 18 studies confirmed the ≥10 cutoff has the best balance of sensitivity (0.78-0.88) and specificity (0.85-0.94) across primary care populations.
| Cutoff | Sensitivity | Specificity | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≥8 | 0.93-0.96 | 0.71-0.78 | Maximizes detection at cost of false positives |
| ≥10 (standard) | 0.78-0.88 | 0.85-0.94 | Best balance per Manea 2012 |
| ≥12 | 0.65-0.75 | 0.92-0.97 | Conservative — minimizes false positives at cost of missed cases |
Some research contexts use ≥8 to maximize sensitivity in screening protocols where missing a case is more costly than over-flagging (e.g., perinatal depression screening). For most clinical and self-screen contexts, ≥10 remains the most-cited and clinically established cutpoint, and is what this tool uses for the moderate-band threshold.
6. Item 9 hard-escalation modal architecture
This is the single biggest design departure from the LBL Anxiety Test build. Documented here in detail because the architecture has clinical safety implications.
The item
Item 9 reads: "Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself in some way." Response scale 0-3 (Not at all / Several days / More than half the days / Nearly every day).
Behavior specification
- Trigger 1: Modal opens immediately when user clicks any non-zero response (1, 2, or 3) on item 9 — before submit.
- Trigger 2: Modal opens on submit if item 9 ≥ 1 and modal has not yet been shown (handles the case where the user clicked rapidly past).
- Re-open: If the user changes their item 9 answer to a different non-zero value, the modal re-opens. This allows resources to be re-displayed if the user reconsiders.
- Dismiss: Modal cannot be dismissed without explicit "I've read this — continue to my results" button click. No X-close icon. No backdrop-click-to-dismiss. Body overflow is locked while modal is open.
- Tier 1 (item 9 = 1): "You said something important." Soft acknowledgment + emergency callout at bottom.
- Tier 2 (item 9 ≥ 2): "What you described is something many people have help available for — and it is treatable." Emergency callout at TOP.
- Resources displayed: 988 (US, call/text), Crisis Text Line HOME→741741, Samaritans UK 116 123, Talk Suicide Canada 1-833-456-4566, findahelpline.com global. Emergency services language: 911 / 999 / 112.
- Non-blocking: User can continue to results after acknowledging.
- Persistent crisis bar: A separate, always-visible crisis bar at the top of every page (tool, methodology, glossary) provides 988 / 741741 / "More resources" links from the moment the page loads. The item-9 modal is the in-tool escalation; the crisis bar is the always-on baseline.
Rationale
Mann et al. 2005's systematic review of suicide prevention strategies concluded that means restriction and direct connection to crisis resources are among the most evidence-supported interventions. Surfacing crisis resources immediately upon any non-zero response on item 9 — and requiring explicit acknowledgment — is a deliberate friction designed to ensure the user encounters the resources, not to obstruct their use of the tool. The non-blocking design respects user autonomy: anyone can continue to results, but no one inadvertently dismisses the resource panel.
7. Sub-dimension symptom profile
Three dimensions (3/4/1 split)
| Dimension | Items | Max score | What it captures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive-emotional | 2, 6, 7 | 9 | Depressed mood, worthlessness/guilt, concentration |
| Physical / somatic | 3, 4, 5, 8 | 12 | Sleep, fatigue, appetite, psychomotor |
| Pleasure-motivation (anhedonic) | 1 | 3 | Anhedonia (loss of interest/pleasure) |
Item 9 (self-harm ideation) is not included in any sub-dimension grouping. It triggers crisis escalation and is reported as a singleton in the results.
Why these three dimensions specifically
Clinical depression treatment differentiates strongly between intervention classes:
- Cognitive-emotional dominant → CBT for depression, cognitive restructuring, IPT (interpersonal therapy) — strongest evidence per Cuijpers et al. 2013 meta-analysis (115 studies, large effect sizes).
- Somatic dominant → behavioral activation, exercise, sleep stabilization, SSRIs/SNRIs — strongest evidence for somatic-loaded depression per Cooney et al. 2013 (exercise) and Hollon 2005 (medication vs CBT relapse prevention).
- Anhedonic-motivational dominant → behavioral activation specifically, novel reward exposure, Brief Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression (BATD; Lejuez 2001) is a structured 8-15 session protocol with strong RCT support.
Why this is presented as an author choice rather than a validated subscale
Factor analysis on the original instrument finds primarily a single-factor structure (Kroenke 2001, Cameron 2008). Some studies find a 2-factor solution (cognitive-affective + somatic), but no replicated 3-factor structure exists in the literature. The 3-dimension grouping in this tool is interpretive — useful for matching pattern to evidence-based intervention class, but not a validated psychometric subscale.
8. Asymmetric scaling for archetype matching
The three sub-dimensions have asymmetric maximum scores (cognitive-emotional max=9, somatic max=12, anhedonic max=3) because they have asymmetric item counts (3 / 4 / 1). For archetype matching to work — i.e., for any of the three dimensions to be capable of dominating when it is the leading edge — they need to be brought to comparable scale.
The scaling factors
- Cognitive scaled by 1.0 (baseline, max 9)
- Somatic scaled by 0.75 (= 9/12, brings max to 9)
- Anhedonic scaled by 3.0 (= 9/3, brings max to 9)
Why asymmetric scaling is necessary
Without scaling, somatic dominance would be over-easy to achieve (4 items at max gets 12 vs cognitive's max of 9), and anhedonic dominance would be near-impossible to achieve (max 3 vs cognitive's 9). The result would be archetype assignment biased toward "Depleted" (somatic-dominant) and against "Disconnected" (anhedonic-dominant), even when the underlying symptom pattern doesn't warrant it.
Mathematical example
User scores: cognitive=6, somatic=8, anhedonic=2 (total=16).
- Without scaling: somatic 8 > cognitive 6 > anhedonic 2 → "The Depleted"
- With scaling: somatic 8×0.75=6.0; cognitive 6×1.0=6.0; anhedonic 2×3.0=6.0 → tied; first-match-wins logic returns "The Inner Critic" (cognitive)
The scaling reveals when the underlying symptom pattern is genuinely balanced vs genuinely dominated by one dimension. This is documented as an author choice because no published precedent for these specific scaling factors exists; they are derived from the asymmetric maximums alone.
9. Five-archetype framework
Five archetypes match symptom profile to evidence-based intervention pathways. Order matters — first match wins, more specific archetypes tested first.
| Archetype | Trigger condition | Primary intervention class | Key citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Steady | total < 5 | Maintenance practices, watchful waiting | — |
| The Inner Critic | cognitive_scaled ≥ somatic_scaled AND ≥ anhedonic_scaled | CBT for depression, cognitive restructuring, MBCT, IPT | Cuijpers 2013, Kuyken 2016 |
| The Depleted | somatic_scaled > cognitive_scaled AND ≥ anhedonic_scaled | Behavioral activation, exercise, sleep stabilization, SSRIs/SNRIs | Cooney 2013, Hollon 2005 |
| The Disconnected | anhedonic_scaled ≥ cognitive_scaled AND ≥ somatic_scaled | Behavioral activation, BATD, novel reward exposure | Dimidjian 2006, Ekers 2014, Lejuez 2001 |
| The Pervasive | (default) — multidimensional, no single dimension dominates | Combined therapy + medication, MBCT, integrated CBT-D | Hollon 2005, Kuyken 2016 |
Pathway count per archetype
Each archetype carries 5-7 evidence-based pathway recommendations:
- The Steady: 5 pathways (maintenance practices, re-screen, strengthen what's working, read about risk factors, build support map)
- The Inner Critic: 7 pathways (CBT-D, cognitive restructuring, MBCT, IPT, compassion-focused therapy, internet-delivered CBT, defer to clinician at moderate+)
- The Depleted: 7 pathways (behavioral activation, cardiovascular exercise, sleep stabilization, SSRI/SNRI consultation, light therapy, nutritional review, caffeine/alcohol audit)
- The Disconnected: 6 pathways (BATD specifically, activity scheduling with reward monitoring, novel reward exposure, social re-engagement, mindfulness for noticing pleasure, prescriber consultation re: emerging treatments)
- The Pervasive: 6 pathways (combined therapy + medication, MBCT, integrated CBT-D, therapist consultation, intensive outpatient programs, Unified Protocol)
Total: 31 evidence-cited pathways across the 5 archetypes.
10. Diagnostic probability per band
| Band | Score range | Approximate confirmed-MDE rate |
|---|---|---|
| Minimal | 0-4 | ≈ 1 in 100 |
| Mild | 5-9 | ≈ 10 in 100 |
| Moderate | 10-14 | ≈ 50 in 100 |
| Moderately severe | 15-19 | ≈ 75 in 100 |
| Severe | 20-27 | ≈ 90 in 100 |
Derivation
Values derived from the Kroenke 2001 ROC analysis (sensitivity 88%, specificity 88% at ≥10 cutoff in n=580 with structured diagnostic interview). The approximate per-band rates assume a base rate of MDE consistent with the original primary-care validation sample (12-month prevalence ~5-9% per Kroenke 2007). They are explicitly labeled "approximate, derived from Kroenke 2001" on the tool page.
Population-dependence caveat
These probability values depend on the base rate of MDE in the user's population. In primary care (~5-9% 12-month prevalence per Kroenke 2007), they are roughly accurate. In psychiatric outpatient samples (much higher base rate, typically 50-70% per Beard 2016), the per-band rates would be higher. In low-base-rate populations (e.g., asymptomatic community samples), they would be lower. The values serve as an intuitive interpretation aid, not a precise probabilistic statement applicable to every user.
11. Population norms
The tool compares user score against two reference populations:
| Population | Sample | Mean | SD | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General population (Germany) | n = 5,018 | 2.91 | 3.52 | Kocalevent et al. 2013 |
| Female (Germany) | n ≈ 2,608 | 3.13 | 3.61 | Kocalevent et al. 2013 |
| Male (Germany) | n ≈ 2,410 | 2.66 | 3.41 | Kocalevent et al. 2013 |
| Primary care (US) | n = 6,000 | 3.3 | 3.8 | Kroenke et al. 2001 |
| Psychiatric outpatient | n = 502 | 13.8 | 6.5 | Beard 2016 |
The general-population norm (Kocalevent 2013) anchors comparison against people not seeking help; the primary-care norm (Kroenke 2001) anchors against people who consulted a clinician about symptoms. Both are reported on the tool page with z-scores and percentiles computed via standard normal CDF.
13. Validation evidence
Internal consistency
Cronbach's α = 0.89 in the original Kroenke 2001 validation (n=580). Hinz et al. 2017 confirmed α = 0.88 in a German general-population sample (n=5,018). This is solid internal consistency for a 9-item instrument.
Test-retest reliability
Test-retest correlation r = 0.84 in Kroenke 2001 (n=300, ~48 hours between administrations).
Diagnostic accuracy at ≥10 cutoff
| Study | Population | Sensitivity | Specificity | NPV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kroenke 2001 | Primary care (n=580) | 0.88 | 0.88 | ≈ 0.99 |
| Manea 2012 (meta-analysis) | 18 primary care studies | 0.78-0.88 | 0.85-0.94 | ≈ 0.96-0.99 |
| Beard 2016 | Psychiatric outpatient (n=502) | 0.85 | 0.78 | ≈ 0.92 |
Convergent validity
The instrument correlates strongly with the Beck Depression Inventory (r = 0.73 in Kroenke 2001), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (r = 0.79 in Cameron 2008), and clinician-rated severity (r = 0.59 in Kroenke 2001). It correlates appropriately with anxiety (GAD-7 r ≈ 0.6 — high, reflecting genuine comorbidity, but distinct construct).
Cross-cultural validity
The instrument has been validated in dozens of cross-cultural studies (English, German, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, French, others). Cultural expression of depression varies, and somatic-vs-cognitive emphasis differs across cultures, but the instrument's basic psychometric properties hold across translations.
14. Functional impairment override
The 10th item (functional difficulty) is captured but not added to the score. It influences the results in two ways:
Functional override note
If functional difficulty = "extremely difficult" (value 3) AND total score ≥ 5 (any band above minimal), the results panel surfaces a contextual note:
"You indicated these symptoms have been extremely difficult to live with. That impairment level — regardless of the precise band score — warrants a conversation with a clinician. Difficulty functioning is itself a clinical signal, separate from the symptom-frequency score."
Rationale
Functional impairment is a separate clinical signal from symptom frequency. DSM-5 MDE criteria require "clinically significant distress or functional impairment" — not just symptom presence. A user with mild symptom-frequency but extreme functional difficulty is in a clinically more concerning state than a user with the same symptom score and minimal functional difficulty. The override note surfaces this without modifying the underlying severity-band assignment.
15. Care-aware infrastructure
Depression carries higher absolute mortality risk than anxiety, primarily through suicide. The care-aware infrastructure is consequently more prominent than in the LBL Anxiety Test:
Always-on (independent of any score)
- Persistent crisis bar at the top of every page (tool, methodology, glossary). Visible from the moment the page loads. Provides 988 / 741741 / "More resources" links. Cannot be dismissed.
Score-triggered
- Care-aware top block at score ≥ 10 — surfaces above the results when moderate or higher
- Care-aware bottom block at score ≥ 10 — surfaces below the pathways
- Severe-band clinician prompt at score ≥ 20 (different threshold from the Anxiety Test's ≥ 15 prompt because PHQ has 5 bands not 4)
Item-9 specific (the key escalation path)
- Crisis modal triggered immediately when item 9 ≥ 1. Modal cannot be dismissed without explicit acknowledgment.
- Modal copy escalation at item 9 ≥ 2 (tier-2 emergency callout moves to top)
- Item-9 readout in results panel with red-bordered styling when non-zero
Functional impairment override
- Surfaces at functional = "extremely difficult" AND total ≥ 5, regardless of band
16. Privacy & data handling
Completely browser-local. Specifically:
- The 9 item responses, the functional impairment response, computed scores, archetype, and any optional inputs (such as sex for sex-stratified norms) never leave the device
- Nothing is transmitted to any server
- Nothing is stored in localStorage, sessionStorage, cookies, or any other persistence mechanism
- Closing the tab clears the session entirely
- The tool uses Google Analytics 4 in a privacy-respecting manner for aggregate page-level metrics only — never individual responses. IP anonymization is enabled.
- Two GA events are fired with no PII:
tool_complete(with band label and total score for population-level analytics), andcrisis_modal_shown/crisis_modal_self_initiated(for understanding crisis-pathway usage rates) - If the user copies their share text using the "copy summary" button, item 9 details are deliberately omitted from the shareable text for privacy
17. Limitations
- Snapshot, not trajectory. The instrument measures last-2-weeks symptoms. Depression naturally fluctuates with life events. A high score during a difficult period doesn't necessarily mean MDE; a low score during a calm period doesn't mean you've never had a depression problem.
- Self-report dependent. Honest self-report is the foundation. Strong self-criticism, alexithymia, denial, or recall bias can all distort scores in either direction.
- Not diagnostic. MDE diagnosis requires DSM-5 or ICD-11 clinical interview by a qualified professional. The screen is sensitive (88% per Kroenke 2001) but not diagnostic.
- Cultural variation. The instrument was developed in US/European primary care. Validation in non-Western populations exists but cultural expression of depression varies.
- Differential diagnosis ignored. A high score may reflect bipolar depression rather than unipolar, persistent depressive disorder rather than MDE, adjustment disorder, or grief. The screen flags "depression symptoms present" not "the source or kind of depression."
- Sub-dimension scoring is interpretive, not validated. The 3-dimension profile is an author-derived interpretive aid. Use as a conversation starter, not a clinical typology.
- Archetypes are interpretive frameworks. The 5 archetypes are LBL author-derived. They are not a published clinical typology.
- Functional impairment item is captured but not summed. The 10th question informs interpretation but does not change the 0-27 score.
- Validation in adolescents and children is separate. The instrument has separate adolescent validation (PHQ-A, n=403, Richardson 2010) but the cutoffs differ. This tool is not validated for users under 18.
- Documented author choices. Three components are author-derived (sub-dimension assignments, asymmetric scaling factors, approximate dx-prob values per band). All are documented in §12.
18. Frequently asked questions
Why use the 9-item Kroenke 2001 instrument and not something longer like the Beck Depression Inventory?
The 9-item depression screener developed by Kroenke, Spitzer & Williams in 2001 is purpose-built for primary-care screening contexts where time is limited. Its brevity (2-3 minutes), strong validation (Cronbach α=0.89; sensitivity 88%, specificity 88% at cutoff ≥10 per the original validation), and direct mapping to all 9 DSM major depressive episode criteria make it the most widely-used brief depression screener in the world, with over 100,000 citations. The Beck Depression Inventory has 21 items; the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale is clinician-administered. Both have their place, but neither is appropriate for a 2-3 minute self-screen.
How were the severity bands chosen?
Directly from Kroenke et al. 2001: 0-4 minimal, 5-9 mild, 10-14 moderate, 15-19 moderately severe, 20-27 severe. These cutpoints are used by NHS IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies), VA/DoD clinical practice guidelines, and the APA major depressive disorder treatment guidelines. The standard ≥10 cutoff was confirmed by Manea, Gilbody & McMillan's 2012 meta-analysis of 18 studies as having the best sensitivity/specificity balance across primary care populations (sensitivity 0.78-0.88, specificity 0.85-0.94).
Why is the sub-dimension symptom profile considered an author choice?
The original 9-item screener is largely unidimensional in factor analysis (Kroenke 2001 confirmed single-factor structure; Cameron 2008 replicated). Splitting items into cognitive-emotional, physical/somatic, and pleasure-motivation dimensions is an interpretive aid added by LifeByLogic to surface action-relevant patterns. It is presented transparently as an author choice rather than a validated subscale, and the methodology section documents the item assignments and asymmetric scaling factors used.
Why does item 9 trigger an immediate crisis modal that cannot be dismissed casually?
Item 9 captures self-harm ideation. Mann et al. 2005's systematic review of suicide prevention strategies concluded that means restriction and direct connection to crisis resources are among the most evidence-supported interventions. Surfacing crisis resources immediately upon any non-zero response on item 9 — and requiring explicit acknowledgment to dismiss — is a deliberate friction designed to ensure the user encounters the resources, not to obstruct their use of the tool. The modal is non-blocking; the user can continue to results after acknowledging.
How were the 5 archetypes derived?
The 5 archetypes (The Steady, The Inner Critic, The Depleted, The Disconnected, The Pervasive) are LBL author-derived interpretive frameworks that match symptom profile to evidence-based intervention classes. Each archetype maps to interventions with strong meta-analytic or RCT support — CBT for cognitive-emotional dominance (Cuijpers 2013), behavioral activation for anhedonic dominance (Dimidjian 2006, Ekers 2014), exercise/sleep stabilization for somatic dominance (Cooney 2013). Archetypes are explicitly named as interpretive frameworks, not a published clinical typology.
Why are the diagnostic probability values labeled 'approximate'?
The values (1/10/50/75/90 in 100 across the 5 bands) are derived from the Kroenke 2001 ROC data showing 88% sensitivity and 88% specificity at ≥10 cutoff in a primary care sample of n=580. They are population-dependent — the actual confirmed-MDE rate in any individual user's case depends on the base rate of major depression in their context. They serve as an intuitive interpretation aid, not a precise probabilistic statement, and the methodology page documents the derivation transparently.
Why include a functional impairment item if it's not added to the score?
The 10th item asking 'how difficult have these problems made it' is part of the original Kroenke 2001 instrument and is captured for the same reason: functional impairment is a separate clinical signal from symptom frequency. A user with moderate symptom-frequency but extreme functional difficulty may need more urgent follow-up than a user with the same symptom score and minimal functional difficulty. This tool surfaces a 'functional override' note in the results when functional difficulty is reported as 'extremely difficult' alongside any symptom score above minimal.
How does this tool handle privacy?
Completely browser-local. The 9 responses, the functional impairment response, computed scores, archetype, and any optional inputs (such as sex for sex-stratified norms) never leave the device. No transmission, no storage, no logging. Closing the tab clears the session. The tool uses Google Analytics 4 in a privacy-respecting manner for aggregate page-level metrics only — never individual responses.
What is this tool not for?
Not a diagnosis. Not a treatment plan. Not a substitute for clinical judgment. Not appropriate for users currently in psychiatric crisis (the crisis modal will surface the relevant resources immediately, but anyone in active crisis should call 988 or local emergency services). Not validated for use under age 18 (the original instrument was validated in adult primary care). Not a longitudinal tracking tool — this is a self-screen at a single moment in time.
How does this differ from the LBL Anxiety Test?
The Anxiety Test uses the 7-item GAD-7 (Spitzer 2006) and produces a 0-21 score with 4 severity bands. The Depression Test uses the 9-item depression screener (Kroenke 2001) and produces a 0-27 score with 5 severity bands. The Depression Test adds an item-9 hard-escalation crisis modal because of the self-harm ideation item, which has no parallel in the GAD-7. Anxiety and depression are highly comorbid (40-60% overlap in clinical samples per Kroenke 2007); both screens together give a fuller picture than either alone.
19. References & citations
- Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. W. (2001). The PHQ-9: Validity of a brief depression severity measure. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16(9), 606–613. doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x
- Manea, L., Gilbody, S., & McMillan, D. (2012). Optimal cut-off score for diagnosing depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9): a meta-analysis. CMAJ, 184(3), E191–E196. doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.110829
- Kocalevent, R. D., Hinz, A., & Brähler, E. (2013). Standardization of the depression screener Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) in the general population. General Hospital Psychiatry, 35(5), 551–555. doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2013.04.006
- Beard, C., Hsu, K. J., Rifkin, L. S., Busch, A. B., & Björgvinsson, T. (2016). Validation of the PHQ-9 in a psychiatric sample. Journal of Affective Disorders, 193, 267–273. doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.12.075
- Hasin, D. S., Sarvet, A. L., Meyers, J. L., et al. (2018). Epidemiology of adult DSM-5 major depressive disorder and its specifiers in the United States. JAMA Psychiatry, 75(4), 336–346. doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.4602
- Cuijpers, P., Berking, M., Andersson, G., Quigley, L., Kleiboer, A., & Dobson, K. S. (2013). A meta-analysis of cognitive-behavioural therapy for adult depression. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 58(7), 376–385. doi.org/10.1177/070674371305800702
- Cooney, G. M., Dwan, K., Greig, C. A., et al. (2013). Exercise for depression. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (9), CD004366. doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004366.pub6
- Dimidjian, S., Hollon, S. D., Dobson, K. S., et al. (2006). Randomized trial of behavioral activation, cognitive therapy, and antidepressant medication in the acute treatment of adults with major depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74(4), 658–670. doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.74.4.658
- Ekers, D., Webster, L., Van Straten, A., Cuijpers, P., Richards, D., & Gilbody, S. (2014). Behavioural activation for depression: an update of meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 9(6), e100100. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0100100
- Hollon, S. D., DeRubeis, R. J., Shelton, R. C., et al. (2005). Prevention of relapse following cognitive therapy vs medications. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(4), 417–422. doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.62.4.417
- Kuyken, W., Warren, F. C., Taylor, R. S., et al. (2016). Efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in prevention of depressive relapse. JAMA Psychiatry, 73(6), 565–574. doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.0076
- Mann, J. J., Apter, A., Bertolote, J., et al. (2005). Suicide prevention strategies: a systematic review. JAMA, 294(16), 2064–2074. doi.org/10.1001/jama.294.16.2064
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). DSM-5. APA Publishing.
- Lejuez, C. W., Hopko, D. R., & Hopko, S. D. (2001). A brief behavioral activation treatment for depression: Treatment manual. Behavior Modification, 25(2), 255–286. doi.org/10.1177/0145445501252005
- Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., Williams, J. B. W., Monahan, P. O., & Löwe, B. (2007). Anxiety disorders in primary care: prevalence, impairment, comorbidity, and detection. Annals of Internal Medicine, 146(5), 317–325.
Read the LBL Depression Test tool itself, or browse the depression screener glossary entry.