A Questionnaire for Assessing Anxiety and Depression on the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 Scales Found on iPhone

In the Health app on iPhone, the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 questionnaires were found, designed for a preliminary assessment of the risk of depression and anxiety. To find them, open search in the app, type “mental health,” and go to the relevant section. PHQ-9 includes nine questions about depression symptoms, and GAD-7 includes seven questions about anxiety.

At the end, the user receives a risk score and recommendations, and the results can be saved as a PDF and shown to a doctor. The feature also supports periodic completion of the questionnaires and helps users notice changes in how they feel over time. Both questionnaires are used in medical practice, but their results are not a diagnosis and do not replace a consultation with a specialist. Apple separately notes that clinical validation of the tests was conducted only for certain countries and languages, so the availability of the feature and the applicability of the results may vary.

According to the company, mental well-being data is processed directly on the device. The user can also choose to share some of this data with loved ones or a healthcare professional.

Having such tools in a built-in app lowers the barrier to an initial assessment of one’s condition: the user doesn’t have to look for third-party services or install additional apps. At the same time, it’s important that the results don’t become a reason for self-diagnosis or, conversely, false reassurance.

How useful do you think it is to have such a questionnaire right in the Health app on iPhone?