Grief and Mood Check
Grief is not something you get over. It's something you carry, and over time, for most people, it becomes lighter. But sometimes grief doesn't ease. It stays as raw and consuming as the day it began, or it quietly hollows out your life until you realize you've stopped living it.
This page uses the PHQ-9 to screen for depression symptoms that can occur while grieving. The PHQ-9 does not measure grief and cannot tell you whether you have prolonged grief disorder. It can help you notice depression symptoms worth discussing with a qualified healthcare professional.
Your answers and score are processed locally and are not intentionally sent to MindCheck Tools.
Last updated: August 2, 2026
Quick answer
- What is this?
- A PHQ-9 depression self-screen presented with grief-specific context. It does not measure grief or prolonged grief disorder.
- Who is it for?
- Adults who are grieving and want to reflect on depression symptoms over the past two weeks.
- Bottom line
- A PHQ-9 result can support a conversation about mood, but only a qualified clinician can evaluate depression or prolonged grief disorder.
Published by MindCheck Tools
PHQ-9 Depression Self-Check
A widely used, validated screening questionnaire that helps you reflect on depressive symptoms over the past two weeks. Your answers and score are processed locally and are not intentionally sent to MindCheck Tools.
Last updated: March 16, 2026
Reviewed by Jason Ramirez, CADC-II with 11 years of clinical experience in substance use counseling.
Review covers source alignment, scoring, limitations, and safety language within the reviewer's stated credential scope; it is not diagnosis or individual care.
Last reviewed: March 2026
Before you begin
This self-check uses the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a validated screening instrument developed by Drs. Spitzer, Williams, and Kroenke and placed in the public domain.
Please understand:
- This is not a diagnosis and does not replace professional evaluation.
- Results are educational only, they describe symptom levels, not clinical conditions.
- Only a qualified healthcare professional can diagnose or treat conditions.
- Your answers are processed entirely in your browser and are not sent to MindCheck Tools. Pages that offer optional local saving say so before use.
- If you are in immediate danger or having thoughts of self-harm, please contact emergency services or a crisis hotline now.
When to Seek a Grief-Specific Evaluation
These experiences are reasons to seek support, not a diagnostic checklist. The American Psychiatric Association explains that prolonged grief disorder requires persistent symptoms, impaired functioning, timing criteria, and clinical evaluation. The PHQ-9 below cannot make that distinction. The NIH grief guide offers current support guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between normal grief and complicated grief?
Grief is a natural response to loss and does not follow one universal timeline. Prolonged grief disorder is a separate clinical condition involving persistent, intense grief plus substantial disruption in daily functioning. For diagnosis, the death must have occurred at least 12 months earlier for adults or 6 months earlier for children and adolescents, and a clinician must consider cultural and personal context. This PHQ-9 self-screen does not assess prolonged grief disorder.
How do I know if my grief is 'normal'?
There is no single timeline for grief, and this page cannot label grief as normal or disordered. If grief remains intensely distressing, persistently disrupts daily functioning, or leaves you feeling unsafe, talk with a licensed clinician who can consider the full situation and your cultural and personal context.
Can grief cause depression?
Grief and depression can share symptoms such as sadness, sleep changes, appetite changes, difficulty concentrating, and loss of interest, but they are not the same condition. The PHQ-9 on this page screens for depression symptoms that may occur during grief. It cannot determine their cause or assess prolonged grief disorder.
Can this PHQ-9 result show prolonged grief disorder?
No. The PHQ-9 measures depression symptoms over the past two weeks. Prolonged grief disorder is distinct from depression and requires a grief-specific clinical evaluation. A PHQ-9 result may help you discuss mood symptoms with a clinician, but it cannot confirm or rule out prolonged grief disorder.
Can grief affect physical health?
Grief can affect sleep, appetite, energy, concentration, and daily routines. New, severe, or persistent physical symptoms deserve medical evaluation rather than being assumed to be caused by grief.
Crisis & Support Resources
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988, if grief has brought thoughts of suicide
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- GriefShare: griefshare.org, grief support groups nationwide
- American Psychiatric Association: prolonged grief disorder information
This assessment is for educational purposes only, it is not a diagnosis. Only a licensed healthcare professional can diagnose complicated grief or related conditions. Questionnaire answers and scores are processed locally and are not intentionally sent to MindCheck Tools.
Compiled by Jason Ramirez, CADC-II. Clinical content drawn from NIMH, PubMed, and WHO. For evaluation, consult a licensed mental health professional.
Last reviewed: August 2, 2026