Prensa

Seven-item questionnaire for measuring symptoms of generalized anxiety. Developed in 2006 by Robert L. Spitzer, Kurt Kroenke, Janet B.W. Williams, and Bernd Löwe; published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Used worldwide today in primary care and psychotherapy; considered a brief, valid, and reliable screening tool.

Why InnerPulse includes it: GAD-7 is short enough for weekly use without becoming a chore, and its results map directly to severity bands therapists already work with - useful as a conversation starter for therapy sessions.

Nine-item questionnaire for measuring depressive symptoms based on the DSM-IV criteria for Major Depression. Developed in 1999 by Spitzer, Kroenke, and Williams as part of the PRIME-MD project (Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders). The international de facto standard for depression screening in research and practice.

Why InnerPulse includes it: PHQ-9 is the instrument most therapists in German-speaking and English-speaking countries already use. Bringing the exact same questionnaire to a personal app means continuity - no translation or interpretation gap when sharing results with a clinician.

Ultra-short four-item questionnaire for combined screening of anxiety and depression. Combines the two core items from GAD-7 (GAD-2) with the two core items from PHQ-9 (PHQ-2). Developed in 2009 by Kroenke, Spitzer, Williams, and Löwe; published in Psychosomatics. Designed as a highly economical first-pass or progress screening, e.g., in primary care or for regular check-ins where a longer questionnaire isn't practical. Elevated scores indicate the need for deeper assessment with GAD-7 or PHQ-9.

Why InnerPulse includes it: PHQ-4 takes about 30 seconds. It is the right instrument for "I'm not sure if this is anything" days - a low-friction pulse check that helps users decide whether a longer questionnaire is worth doing.

Ten-item questionnaire measuring general psychological distress over the past four weeks. Developed in the late 1990s by Ronald C. Kessler at Harvard Medical School as part of the US National Comorbidity Survey; published in Psychological Medicine in 2002. Unlike GAD-7 and PHQ-9, K-10 doesn't ask specifically about anxiety or depression, but about non-specific symptoms of psychological distress (nervousness, hopelessness, exhaustion, tension). Used in national health surveys in Australia and the United States, and one of the most broadly validated distress scales available.

Why InnerPulse includes it: K-10 is less label-loaded than GAD-7 or PHQ-9. For users who don't yet have a diagnosis, or aren't sure their experience "counts", it offers a way to track distress without category pressure.