From the PHQ-9 to GAD-7: Mental health screening in minutes

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

As a therapist, you're balancing a lot. Between back-to-back sessions, documentation, and the pressure to stay HIPAA compliant, there's not much time to spare.

That's why we've made screening for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and more as simple and secure as sending a link.

Our online self-assessments — such as the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 — are easy to set up, self-scoring, and encrypted to keep your clients' information secure.

Whether you email a form or add it to your website, you'll get the information you need without the hassle of paper shuffling or PDF headaches.

Let's take a quick look at what's available in our growing library.

The Patient Health Questionnaires (PHQ-9 and more)

Since the PHQ-9 is our most popular assessment, we decided to expand on it by adding an entire PHQ series to our library. These additions help you screen for issues like somatoform disorders and anxiety in addition to depression. They also vary in length, giving you more choice in assessments.

Here are the forms in our PHQ series:

• PHQ-9
• PHQ-A, Adapted
• PHQ-15
• PHQ-4
• PHQ-SADS

Let's take a closer look at each one.

PHQ-9

As you may already know, the PHQ-9 assesses the presence and severity of depression. With only nine questions, it's quick and easy for clients to complete.

Excerpt of PHQ-9

PHQ-A, Adapted

Now you can screen for depression in teens and tweens. Also with nine questions, the Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents (PHQ-A, Adapted) is short enough to keep even teens from zoning out.

Excerpt of PHQ-A, Adapted

PHQ-15

Getting a handle on somatic symptoms has never been easier with this 15-question screener.

You can use it during intake to help identify patterns in how your client experiences physical symptoms and track changes over time, without relying solely on memory.

Excerpt of PHQ-15

PHQ-4

This lightning-fast assessment consists of only four questions. It's perfect for days when you or your client have very limited time.

It screens for anxiety and depression with two questions on each condition, drawn from the GAD-7 and the PHQ-9.

Excerpt of PHQ-4

PHQ-SADS

If you need a more complete picture of your client's mental health, the PHQ-SADS gives you a powerful way to assess multiple concerns in one place, without having to juggle separate forms.

It is perfect for more in-depth analysis. It assesses depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms, and panic.

Hushmail's smart forms with conditional logic are particularly useful here. This means certain parts of the form only appear if your client answers a question in a specific way.

For example, our version of this form only shows follow-up questions related to anxiety attacks if a client indicates that they have them. If the client does not experience anxiety attacks, the follow-up questions do not appear. This gives the questionnaire a cleaner look and makes it easier to use.

Excerpt of PHQ-SADS

Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Assessment (GAD-7)

When your client mentions ongoing anxiety, the GAD-7 helps you screen for and assess anxiety, and show your client you're paying close attention.

With generalized anxiety disorder affecting 6.8 million adults in the U.S., this assessment can be a valuable addition to your toolkit.

Excerpt of GAD-7

PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)

Another popular form, the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), aids in screening for and making a provisional diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Our online version of this assessment includes the optional Life Events Checklist (LEC-5) and Criterion A sections, as well as weekly and monthly formats.

To access these options, click anywhere on the form while customizing it. This will open the menu shown below.

Criterion A and LEC-5 options in the customization menu

Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS/DASS-21)

For those who want a more in-depth look at depression, anxiety, and tension/stress, Hushmail offers digital versions of the DASS and DASS-21.

The DASS requires a greater time commitment, with 42 questions. If you want a broader view of how your client is coping with stress, anxiety, and depression — but don't want to overwhelm them with a long form — the DASS-21 keeps it manageable. It is a shortened version of the same assessment, with seven questions for each condition.

Excerpt of DASS

Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)

The AUDIT is a quick 10-item assessment that indicates whether or not someone's alcohol use is harmful. It was developed by the World Health Organization and validated in six countries.

Questions deal with alcohol consumption, dependence, and related issues.

Excerpt of AUDIT

Screening for Anxiety-related Disorders (SCARED/SCAARED)

We also have assessments that screen for anxiety-related disorders in children and adults:

• Screen for Child Anxiety-related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) for children
  and SCARED for their parents
• Screen for Adult Anxiety-related Emotional Disorders (SCAARED)

SCARED

Many children struggle with anxiety these days. That's why we offer the SCARED assessments, completed by children (aged 9–17) and their parents. They are longer assessments, with 41 questions each.

They take a deeper look at anxiety and assess:

• Somatic/panic
• General anxiety
• Separation anxiety
• Social phobia
• School phobia

Parents complete the same questionnaire about their child, so you can compare the two perspectives.

Excerpt of SCARED - Child Version

SCAARED

SCAARED is for adults and was adapted from the original SCARED assessment.

It is intended for individuals aged 18 and above. Like SCARED, it analyzes somatic/panic issues, generalized anxiety, and separation anxiety. It also has questions related to agoraphobia and social anxiety.

It's a little longer than SCARED, with 44 questions.

Excerpt of SCAARED

Here's a quick reference table of all the self-assessments available in our library, including their details and direct links to preview or open them in the Form Builder.

How Hushmail's online mental health screening forms work

To use our mental health self-assessments, you need a Hushmail plan that includes forms. Ready to go? Here's how to get started.

Step 1: Log in to your Hushmail account and click on Form Builder in the top right-hand corner of the screen.

Step 2: Select the assessment template you want to use, then add your name, photo, and contact information.

Step 3: Customize the form if needed — you can add fields, edit text, or adjust settings to fit your workflow.

Step 4: Once your form is ready, either add it to your website or email the secure link directly to your client.

Step 5: When your client completes the assessment, you'll receive a scored PDF version in your inbox, ready to upload to your EHR.

All of our self-assessments are scored automatically, and they're encrypted to protect your clients' privacy.

Looking for a different assessment? Tell us all about it!

You're already doing the meaningful work — supporting clients through their toughest moments.

Our forms are here to take one thing off your plate.

Whether you're collecting assessments for intake, check-ins, or ongoing care, our self-scoring, secure forms are designed to save you time and protect your clients' privacy.

And if there's a questionnaire you'd love to use but don't see in our library, we'd love to hear from you! We're actively seeking new ways to meet our customers' needs with forms and questionnaires that help save time across intake, check-ins, and the entire client journey — so you can reclaim your day.