PHQ-15: Somatic Symptom Severity ScalePHQ-15
~5 min · 15 questions · Free partial report
A 15-item screening tool that assesses somatic symptom severity — physical symptoms like headaches, stomach pain, dizziness, and fatigue that may be associated with psychological distress. The PHQ-15 is part of the Patient Health Questionnaire family and helps identify somatization patterns.
A validated 15-item screener for somatic symptom severity, identifying physical complaints commonly linked to psychological distress.
- Assess the severity of common physical symptoms that often co-occur with depression and anxiety. Identify patterns of somatization and physical symptom burden.
No signup required to start. The Partial Report is free at the end. The Complete costs $9.90, if and when you want it.
What this test measures
Somatic Severity
Measures the overall burden and severity of 15 common somatic symptoms spanning pain, gastrointestinal, cardiopulmonary, neurological, fatigue, sleep, sexual, and menstrual domains.
Minimal
Low
Medium
High
Your result falls into one of these bands.
Discover where you stand on each dimension.
Start for free →No prior signup. Free partial result immediately.
From first click to report.
The process is simple: you respond, the system calculates, and the result appears. No prior signup, no form, no waiting.
- 1
Click "Start for free"
No signup required to start. You identify yourself at the end, when you want to save the result. The test opens immediately.
- 2
Answer the questions
Likert 3-point scale (Not bothered at all — Bothered a lot). Visible progress bar. You can pause and resume from any device after identifying yourself.
- 3
Get the Partial Report
Immediate and free. A text summary of each dimension, with indication of high, medium, or low.
- 4
Decide if you want the Complete
The Partial already delivers value. The Complete adds percentiles, norm comparison, charts, applied recommendations, and a verifiable Certificate.
- 5
Explore in the Integrative Chat
Talk to an AI about your results. Ask how your profile applies to your career, what a high score means, or compare with other tests.
The Partial is yours right away. The Complete, when it makes sense.
| Free and paid, side by side | Partial Report (free, always) | Complete Report ($9.90) |
|---|---|---|
| Interpretive text per dimension, generated from your answers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Raw score for each dimension | ✓ | ✓ |
| One-paragraph overview reading | ✓ | ✓ |
| Everything in the Partial, expanded to 3–5 paragraphs per dimension | — | ✓ |
| Percentile per dimension, compared to reference norms | — | ✓ |
| Inter-dimensional chart with accessible data table | — | ✓ |
| Applied recommendations: career, relationships, self-care | — | ✓ |
| Certificate with public verification and PDF download | — | ✓ |
- ✓Everything in the Partial, expanded to 3–5 paragraphs per dimension
- ✓Percentile per dimension, compared to reference norms
- ✓Applied recommendations: career, relationships, self-care
- ✓Certificate with public verification and PDF download
You only pay after completing the test, if you want to go beyond the Partial.
Payment via PIX (instant) or credit card. Access for 1 year. After that, the report stays visible in read-only mode.
Why trust this instrument.
The PHQ-15 (Kroenke, Spitzer & Williams, 2002) assesses the severity of 15 somatic symptoms that account for over 90% of physical complaints seen in outpatient settings. Each symptom is rated on a 3-point scale (0-2), yielding total scores from 0 to 30 with established severity bands (minimal, low, medium, high). Higher scores are associated with increased functional impairment, disability days, and healthcare utilization, independent of medical diagnosis.
- Authors:
- Kroenke, Spitzer, & Williams
- Year:
- 2002
- Origin:
- US
- Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. W. (2002). The PHQ-15: Validity of a new measure for evaluating the severity of somatic symptoms. Psychosomatic Medicine, 64(2), 258-266.
The theory behind this test.
PRIME-MD / PHQ Clinical Screening Framework
Clinical screening framework derived from the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD). Operationalizes DSM-IV diagnostic criteria into brief self-report screeners for depression (PHQ-9/PHQ-2), anxiety (GAD-7), somatization (PHQ-15), and other conditions. Not a diagnostic system — designed to identify probable cases for clinical follow-up.
Learn more about this theory →Target Audience
Adults (18+) experiencing unexplained physical symptoms or interested in the mind-body connection
Recommended ages: 18+
Questions the report answers.
How much are physical symptoms affecting your daily life?
Scores of 0-4 indicate minimal somatic symptom severity, 5-9 low, 10-14 medium, and 15-30 high severity. Higher scores are associated with increased functional impairment, disability days, and healthcare utilization.
Who benefits most.
Mind-body explorers
People experiencing unexplained physical symptoms who want to understand whether stress, anxiety, or mood may be contributing factors.
Primary care patients
Individuals with frequent physical complaints who want a structured way to communicate symptom severity to their healthcare provider.
People with unexplained symptoms
Anyone cycling through headaches, fatigue, or pain without clear medical answers who wants a structured picture to discuss with a doctor.
Frequently asked questions
What does this test measure?
It measures the severity of 15 common somatic symptoms (e.g., stomach pain, headaches, dizziness, fatigue) that are frequently associated with psychological distress.
How long does it take?
About 3-5 minutes.
Is this test scientifically validated?
Yes. The PHQ-15 has been validated in primary care settings with alpha reliability of 0.80 and demonstrates strong associations with functional impairment and healthcare use (Kroenke et al., 2002).
Does a high score mean something is physically wrong?
Not necessarily. Many somatic symptoms are associated with stress, anxiety, or depression rather than an underlying medical condition. A high score warrants discussion with a healthcare provider.
Combine instruments for a fuller profile.
Each test measures different dimensions. The Integrative Chat crosses the results of all tests you complete, revealing connections no single instrument can show.
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No signup, no time limit. The Partial is free at the end.
The Complete costs $9.90, if and when you want it.
This test is a self-knowledge tool for informational purposes. It does not constitute a psychological or clinical diagnosis and does not replace evaluation by a qualified professional. The report indicates the AI model used in text generation.
The PHQ-15 was developed by Drs. Kroenke, Spitzer, and Williams with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc. No permission is required to reproduce, translate, display, or distribute.