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Tags: Psychology , Psychometrics
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Somatic symptom burden reflects how strongly physical discomfort has affected you during a recent period. The Patient Health Questionnaire fifteen item scale (PHQ-15) gives you a concise snapshot of that burden so you can see whether symptoms are light, moderate, or heavy.

You answer fifteen everyday symptom prompts that cover pain, gastrointestinal issues, cardiopulmonary sensations, fatigue, sleep, and reproductive or sexual concerns. Each response captures how much the symptom bothered you over the past two weeks.

After the final answer the tool totals the responses, highlights the dominant symptom cluster, and flags any areas rated as “Bothered a lot.” You also see subscores for each cluster so patterns stand out during follow-up conversations.

People often repeat the screen to monitor change or to bring an objective record to a medical visit. Stay consistent with the two week recall window and use the same frame of reference for each run so comparisons stay meaningful.

This screen is informational and does not diagnose disease. Seek timely professional care for urgent or worsening symptoms. The tool preserves everything locally and provides exports so you can share results only when you choose.

Technical Details:

The PHQ-15 records fifteen symptoms with three response options: 0 for “Not bothered at all”, 1 for “Bothered a little”, and 2 for “Bothered a lot”. Items cover musculoskeletal pain, gastrointestinal complaints, cardiopulmonary sensations, fatigue and sleep, and reproductive or sexual health.

The total score is the arithmetic sum of all item scores, yielding a 0 to 30 range. Interpretation bands follow common clinical cut points: 0–4 Minimal, 5–9 Low, 10–14 Medium, and 15–30 High symptom burden.

Subscores aggregate related symptoms into five clusters: Musculoskeletal & pain (items 2, 3, 5), Gastrointestinal (1, 12, 13), Cardiopulmonary & autonomic (6, 7, 8, 9, 10), Fatigue & sleep (14, 15), and Reproductive & sexual health (4, 11). Each cluster is graded none, mild, moderate, or high based on the proportion of its maximum value.

The app also surfaces “high-intensity” drivers (items marked as 2) and tracks safety alerts when chest pain, fainting, heart racing, shortness of breath, menstrual pain, or sexual pain are rated as “Bothered a lot.” These notes support discussion with a clinician but never replace medical evaluation.

S = ∑ i=1 15 xi
Symbol Meaning Unit/Datatype Source
x1Stomach paininteger 0–2Input
x2Back paininteger 0–2Input
x3Pain in arms, legs, or jointsinteger 0–2Input
x4Menstrual cramps or period concernsinteger 0–2Input
x5Headachesinteger 0–2Input
x6Chest paininteger 0–2Input
x7Dizzinessinteger 0–2Input
x8Fainting spellsinteger 0–2Input
x9Heart pounding or racinginteger 0–2Input
x10Shortness of breathinteger 0–2Input
x11Pain or problems during sexual intercourseinteger 0–2Input
x12Constipation, loose bowels, or diarrheainteger 0–2Input
x13Nausea, gas, or indigestioninteger 0–2Input
x14Feeling tired or low energyinteger 0–2Input
x15Trouble sleepinginteger 0–2Input
SPHQ-15 total scoreinteger 0–30Derived
Worked example.
x1=1 x2=2 x3=2 x6=1 x9=2 x14=2 x15=2 S=18
Interpretation: 18 falls in the High band, signalling notable symptom burden and the need for clinical follow-up.
Cluster Items Maximum score Interpretation note
Musculoskeletal & pain 2, 3, 5 6 Pain load across spine, limbs, and headaches
Gastrointestinal 1, 12, 13 6 Digestive discomfort and bowel changes
Cardiopulmonary & autonomic 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 10 Chest sensations, dizziness, fainting, palpitations, dyspnea
Fatigue & sleep 14, 15 4 Energy depletion and sleep disruption
Reproductive & sexual health 4, 11 4 Cycle-related pain and sexual discomfort
Band Score range Implication
Minimal 0 to 4 Little to no reported symptom burden
Low 5 to 9 Modest symptom burden worth monitoring
Medium 10 to 14 Clinically relevant somatic symptoms
High 15 to 30 Substantial burden; clinical assessment advised

Rounding policy: inputs are integers, so totals and subscores remain whole numbers. Percentages shown in progress indicators use integer rounding with ties rounding up. No logarithms or scaling are applied.

Field Type Min Max Constraint Error text
Item response Radio integer 0 2 Discrete choice set —
Encoded responses (r) String 15 chars 15 chars Regex ^[0-2\\-]{15}$ Invalid responses ignored

Processing is deterministic: identical inputs always yield the same totals, subscores, and recommendations. Safety alerts appear when relevant items score 2, and exports present the same values found in the interface.

Privacy & Compliance:

All calculations run in your browser. No responses, totals, or exports are sent to servers or third parties.

Copy, CSV, and DOCX exports generate files locally and require your explicit action to share.

Because this is a screening tool, combine the output with professional medical judgment before making decisions about diagnosis or treatment.

Performance & Limits:

The tool handles the fixed 15 items instantly. Rendering the gauge and summary cards remains responsive on modern mobile or desktop browsers.

Memory use is minimal (arrays with 15 entries). Repeated runs stay stable unless browser storage is cleared or the encoded link parameter is edited manually.

How-To Checklist:

  1. 1Read the reminder about the past two weeks and press Start. Setup
  2. 2Select how much each symptom bothered you, using the list to revisit answers if needed. Input
  3. 3Review the total, cluster subscores, and highlighted symptom drivers. Review
  4. 4Copy, download, or export the summary if you plan to discuss results. Share

Example: A user scores headaches, heart pounding, low energy, and sleep trouble as “Bothered a lot”. The tool reports a total of 18, a High band classification, cardiopulmonary emphasis, and highlights the high-intensity items so they can share them with a clinician.

FAQ:

Where are my responses stored?

Responses live only in your browser’s memory. Nothing is sent to a server unless you manually share an export or encoded URL.

Storage
How accurate is the PHQ-15 total?

The computation is a direct sum of the answer codes, so accuracy depends on how consistently you rate your symptoms over the two week window.

Accuracy
What are the units of the result?

All values are unitless integers. Subscores represent counts within each symptom cluster; percentages in the cards are descriptive aids.

Units
Can I run it without a connection?

Yes. Once the page is loaded, scoring, charts, and exports continue to work offline.

Offline use
Does a PHQ-15 score of 12 mean I have a disorder?

A total of 12 lands in the Medium band, signalling clinically relevant symptoms that deserve professional review, but diagnosis requires a full clinical assessment.

Interpretation
Is there any cost to use this?

No purchase or sign-in is required in this package. You control your exports and can clear data by refreshing.

Cost
How do I search for “PHQ-15 high symptom burden meaning”?

Use terms such as “PHQ-15 15+ interpretation” or “PHQ-15 high score clinical guidance” to find peer-reviewed resources or official manuals.

Search tip

Troubleshooting:

  • Total missing: ensure all 15 items are answered; the score appears after completion.
  • Gauge not visible: reload so the chart library can initialize.
  • Copy to clipboard fails: grant clipboard permission or use CSV download.
  • DOCX export will not open: confirm a DOCX-capable editor is installed.
  • Encoded link incorrect: use only digits 0–2 or dashes in the r parameter.
  • Dark mode contrast low: switch to light theme for clearer badges.

Advanced Tips:

  • Note the household or work stressors present during each run; context aids interpretation.
  • Track sleep duration and energy alongside fatigue subscores to spot trends.
  • Use the encoded link parameter to revisit a prior set of responses during a follow-up appointment.
  • Export DOCX summaries to add clinician notes or care plans in the same document.
  • Re-run at the same time of day to control for fatigue-related variation.

Glossary:

PHQ-15
Patient Health Questionnaire fifteen item somatic symptom scale.
Somatic symptom burden
Overall impact of physical symptoms on daily life.
High-intensity driver
An item marked “Bothered a lot” that stands out in the summary.
Cluster subscore
Sum of related items within a symptom system.
Encoded responses (r)
URL parameter storing selections as digits 0–2 or dashes for unanswered items.
Severity band
Category describing total score ranges (Minimal, Low, Medium, High).