Depression (PHQ)

Depression (PHQ) is a mood-related tracking measure. It represents depression-related status as a points-based result, giving mood tracking a defined measurement rather than a descriptive label alone.

Complete the Depression (PHQ) measure once weekly and record the result in points. Use the same measure and the same scoring approach each time so that scores can be compared from one week to the next.

Interpret the direction consistently: lower scores are better for this measure, while higher scores indicate a higher measured level. Focus on the pattern across weekly readings rather than changing how you complete or score the measure between readings.

For this measure, a lower score is generally better. The listed healthy range can serve as a personal orientation point rather than a verdict about you; a result outside it does not, by itself, explain why the score changed or define what you should do next.

Because readings are taken weekly, the most useful view is the pattern across several readings. One result may reflect a temporary change, while a sustained movement in the same direction gives a clearer picture of how your reported symptoms are changing. Compare readings over time using the same approach each week.

Readings are less comparable when they are taken at a different time of day, with a different device, or using an inconsistent technique. Keeping these factors steady helps ensure that an apparent change is more likely to reflect a change in the measure itself rather than a change in how it was recorded.

All interventions listed here target effects that this marker tracks, though trials did not measure the marker itself directly. The approaches associated with improvement include Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Anusara Yoga, Tai Chi, Swimming, Meditation, TENS / EMS Therapy, Ashwagandha, and St. John's Wort. Because lower scores on this marker are better, improvement means movement toward a lower score. These findings span mixed groups, people with clinical conditions, pregnant women, older adults, family caregivers, and studies where health status was not specified, so they may not apply equally to every person.

A separate group concerns serotonin-related effects rather than direct changes in the marker: 5-HTP, Tryptophan, Saffron Extract, and Vitamin B3 (Niacin). These entries describe pharmacology references or anecdotal reports, not human trials measuring this marker, and therefore should not be treated as direct evidence of a lower score. Reported time windows for rechecking ranged from 4-32 weeks, with some findings assessed at 6 mo and 12 mo. Effects may also differ across the various forms of Yoga, movement practices, therapies, and supplements rather than representing one uniform intervention.