WHO-5 Wellbeing Index — Free Online Test (5 Questions)
The WHO-developed 5-item screener for general mental wellbeing — 2 minutes, scores 0-100, validated globally. The recommended top-of-funnel wellness check. Free in the Mindtalk app.
The 5 WHO-5 questions
The questionnaire asks how often, over the past 2 weeks, you have felt the following:
- I have felt cheerful and in good spirits
- I have felt calm and relaxed
- I have felt active and vigorous
- I woke up feeling fresh and rested
- My daily life has been filled with things that interest me
Each item is scored on a 6-point scale: 0 = At no time to 5 = All of the time. The raw scores (0-25) are multiplied by 4 to produce the final score (0-100).
WHO-5 score interpretation
| Score | What it means | Suggested next step | |---|---|---| | 75-100 | Very good wellbeing | Continue current practices | | 50-75 | Good wellbeing with room for improvement | Optional wellness work; daily reflection or gratitude practice | | 28-50 | Reduced wellbeing | Take the PHQ-9 for depression-specific screening | | 0-28 | Significantly reduced wellbeing | Consult a clinician for evaluation |
The 50 threshold is the most commonly cited screening cut-off in the WHO-5 literature. Below 50 suggests follow-up screening. Below 28 is a strong indicator to speak with a clinician.
How to use the result
- Score 75+ — no action needed. Useful baseline to track over time.
- Score 50-75 — optional wellness work. The WHO-5 sits in the Wellbeing & Resilience category alongside RSES (self-esteem) and SCS-SF (self-compassion) for broader self-reflection.
- Score 28-50 — take the PHQ-9 for depression-specific screening. Consider the Emotional Reset Journey for daily structure.
- Score below 28 — speak with a Mindtalk clinician. Sustained low wellbeing at this level often signals depression or another underlying condition that responds to treatment.
When to retake
Monthly retakes give the most useful trend data. The WHO-5 is designed for brief repeated administration — short enough to do as part of a monthly self-check, sensitive enough to register meaningful change. Many users pair the WHO-5 with the GAD-7 (anxiety) and PHQ-9 (depression) for a complete monthly mental-health snapshot.
For ongoing daily wellbeing practice, the Five-Minute Journal or GLAD Technique provide a structured daily complement to the periodic WHO-5 measurement.
How to take the WHO-5
- 1
Open the WHO-5 in the Mindtalk app
Tap "Take the WHO-5" to open the assessment. You will need a free Mindtalk account — sign-in takes under a minute.
- 2
Answer the 5 questions about the past 2 weeks
For each item, choose how often you have felt each thing over the past 2 weeks. Each is scored 0 (At no time) to 5 (All of the time). The whole questionnaire takes about 2 minutes.
- 3
Get your score and recommendation
You receive a total score (0-100, raw scores are multiplied by 4). If your score is below 50, the app suggests taking the PHQ-9 for depression-specific screening; if below 28, the app surfaces clinical consultation options.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does the WHO-5 measure?
- The WHO-5 measures subjective mental wellbeing over the past two weeks across 5 dimensions — positive mood, calm and relaxation, energy and vigour, restful sleep, and interest in daily life. It produces a single score from 0-100. Higher scores indicate better wellbeing; lower scores suggest reduced wellbeing and possible depression. Developed by the World Health Organisation; one of the most widely used wellbeing measures globally. Takes 2-3 minutes.
- What do WHO-5 scores mean?
- Scores range 0-100 (with 100 representing the best possible wellbeing). General interpretation — above 75 suggests very good wellbeing. 50-75 suggests good wellbeing with some room for improvement. 28-50 suggests reduced wellbeing — worth attention; warrants screening for depression. Below 28 suggests significantly reduced wellbeing — strong indicator to consult a clinician for evaluation. The 50 threshold is the most commonly cited screening cut-off.
- Is the WHO-5 a depression test?
- Not specifically. The WHO-5 is a general wellbeing screener, not a depression diagnostic. However, low WHO-5 scores correlate strongly with depression — research consistently shows scores below 50 warrant follow-up depression screening (typically PHQ-9). The WHO-5 is useful as a top-of-funnel general check — if low, take the PHQ-9 for depression-specific assessment; if normal, no further depression screening needed at that moment.
- Why is the WHO-5 so short — does that mean it's not accurate?
- Shortness is by design and does not compromise accuracy. The WHO-5 was deliberately developed as a brief screener for routine use in clinical settings where longer questionnaires are not practical. Despite its brevity, research consistently shows strong reliability and validity — it correlates well with longer wellbeing measures and effectively identifies people who need further evaluation. Brief screeners work well when they cover the right domains, which the WHO-5 does.
- Can I retake the WHO-5 to track my wellbeing over time?
- Yes — that is one of its key uses. The WHO-5 is brief enough to repeat weekly or monthly without becoming burdensome, and sensitive enough to detect meaningful change. Many people use it as a wellbeing check-in during stressful periods, while implementing wellbeing interventions, or during recovery from depression. The Mindtalk app saves results so you can see trends over time.
Need a clinician's read on your results?
A high score is a signal, not a diagnosis. Mindtalk's psychiatrists and clinical psychologists can interpret your results and recommend next steps — same-day appointments available.