Depression Self-Check Tool

What It Solves

When users mention feeling down, PHQ-9, or depression screening, a generic assistant may overstep by sounding diagnostic or offering vague reassurance. This skill keeps the interaction within a standardized screening workflow: it guides the user through the PHQ-9 questionnaire, scores 0-27 points, and explains severity levels. It does not diagnose, treat, or prescribe medication. Instead, it turns a vague statement like “I might be depressed” into a concrete next step: whether to seek care, which resources to contact first, and how to observe symptoms over time.

How It Works

The workflow is organized around administration and interpretation:

• Preparation: state that PHQ-9 is a screening tool, not a diagnostic gold standard, and confirm the user is ready to proceed.
• Question flow: present the 9 items and score each from 0 to 3; item 9 about self-harm thoughts requires special attention if scored.
• Result interpretation: map the total score to severity guidance without exaggerating or minimizing it.
• Action suggestions: offer staged options such as mental-health hotlines, online counseling, in-person evaluation, and self-help strategies.
• Safety escalation: if self-harm is mentioned, crisis resources must be surfaced instead of continuing a normal conversational response.

This design separates the assistant’s role into clear operations: collect information, explain the scale, trigger safety prompts, and suggest next actions.

Boundaries

It is useful for initial self-checks and pre-consultation preparation, but it should not replace psychiatric or psychological care. It is not appropriate for diagnosing depression, recommending medication, delivering structured psychotherapy, or managing acute crises. For users already in treatment, PHQ-9 can help track changes with their clinician, while professional evaluation remains the source of truth.