Somatization (PHQ-15)

The Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (Kroenke, Spitzer, Williams; PHQ) is the most widely used screen for somatic symptoms: 15 bodily complaints over the past 4 weeks (pain, dizziness, fatigue, sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal issues, palpitations, and more), covering over 90% of the physical symptoms seen in primary care. Somatization often accompanies anxiety and depression and speaks "through the body" instead of words — which is why the measure is useful in therapy: it shows how much the body speaks for the emotions and helps separate the medical and psychological components.

Before you start

This is a screening of the severity of somatic symptoms over 4 weeks, not a diagnosis or a medical conclusion. A high score points to significant bodily symptoms and a reason to see a doctor to rule out medical causes — and, in parallel, to discuss with a psychologist the link between the symptoms and anxiety/stress. A low score in the presence of complaints doesn't rule out seeing a doctor.