WHO-5: World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index

The WHO-5 Well-Being Index is the most widely used self-report measure of subjective psychological well-being in the world. Developed by the World Health Organization's Regional Office for Europe, this ultra-brief 5-item questionnaire assesses your mental well-being over the past two weeks. It has been translated into over 30 languages and validated across dozens of countries.

What it measures: The WHO-5 captures positive mood (cheerfulness, relaxation), vitality (feeling active and rested), and general interest in daily life. Unlike depression screeners that focus on symptoms, the WHO-5 measures the presence of positive well-being. This positive framing makes it acceptable to patients and reduces stigma around mental health screening.

Evidence & validation: The WHO-5 demonstrates excellent psychometric properties with Cronbach's alpha of 0.81-0.90 across populations. Studies using item response theory have confirmed its unidimensional structure across 35 countries, explaining over 68% of variance. It shows strong convergent validity with depression measures (PHQ-9 r=-0.52, HADS-D r=-0.63).

Depression screening: Research shows the WHO-5 is a sensitive screening tool for depression, with sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 83% in identifying depressive disorders. A score of 50% or below (raw score 12 or less) indicates poor well-being warranting further evaluation. A score of 28% or below (raw score 7 or less) is strongly indicative of depression.

Why therapists love it: The WHO-5 is ideal for private practice because it's completely free (WHO copyright), ultra-brief (1 minute), positively worded (reduces client resistance), and sensitive to change. The percentage scoring (0-100) is intuitive for clients and makes progress easy to visualize.

Important disclaimer: The WHO-5 measures subjective well-being, not clinical diagnoses. Low scores suggest the need for further evaluation but do not diagnose depression or other conditions. If your score indicates poor well-being, please consult a mental health professional. In the U.S., call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for support.

Reference: World Health Organization. (1998). Wellbeing Measures in Primary Health Care/The Depcare Project. WHO Regional Office for Europe: Copenhagen.

You'll respond to just 5 statements about how you've felt over the past two weeks. For each statement, indicate how often you've experienced that feeling on a 6-point scale:

• 5 - All of the time
• 4 - Most of the time
• 3 - More than half of the time
• 2 - Less than half of the time
• 1 - Some of the time
• 0 - At no time

The WHO-5 asks about:

• Feeling cheerful and in good spirits
• Feeling calm and relaxed
• Feeling active and vigorous
• Waking up fresh and rested
• Daily life filled with interesting things

Scoring: Raw scores range from 0 to 25. Multiply by 4 for a percentage score (0-100). Higher scores indicate better well-being. A score of 50% (raw 12.5) or below suggests poor well-being.

Most people complete the WHO-5 in about one minute.

18-25 (72-100%): High Well-Being
Your score indicates good to excellent psychological well-being. You're experiencing positive mood, vitality, and engagement with life. Continue practicing habits that support your mental health.

13-17 (52-68%): Moderate Well-Being
Your well-being falls within a reasonable range. While not indicating significant problems, there may be room for improvement in some areas. Consider what changes might enhance your overall well-being.

8-12 (32-48%): Low Well-Being
Your score suggests poor psychological well-being. This level warrants further evaluation for depression or other conditions affecting your mental health. Speaking with a therapist or healthcare provider is recommended.

0-7 (0-28%): Very Low Well-Being
Your score indicates significantly impaired well-being and is strongly suggestive of depression. Professional mental health support is strongly recommended. Please reach out to a healthcare provider or mental health professional.

Percentage scoring: Multiply your raw score by 4 to get a percentage (0-100%). This makes it easy to track changes over time and communicate progress. For example, a raw score of 15 = 60%.

Tracking progress: The WHO-5 is excellent for monitoring therapy outcomes. A change of 10 percentage points (2.5 raw points) represents clinically meaningful improvement. Consider retaking every 2-4 weeks during treatment.

Depression screening: If any single item is scored 0 or 1, further evaluation for depression is recommended regardless of total score.