DAP Notes for Depression
How to write a DAP note for depression: what goes in Data, Assessment and Plan, how to record PHQ-9 scores and functioning, and how to document suicide risk, with a fictional example.
Quick Answer
A DAP note for depression puts the client’s report of mood, sleep, energy and activity, your observations, the PHQ-9 score and the interventions you used in Data; your judgment about progress, functioning and suicide risk in Assessment; and the next session, practice and repeat measures in Plan.
Overview
This guide is part of our complete DAP notes hub — format structure, a full clinical example, the DAP note generator, and all 72 diagnosis-specific templates.
No sign-up needed: open a fictional DAP note in the MentalNote editor and edit it like a real draft.
Short answer: a DAP note for depression has three parts. Data: everything that happened, including the client’s report of mood, interest, sleep, appetite, energy and daily activity since the last session, your observations, the PHQ-9 score, the suicide screening and the interventions you used. Assessment: your judgment about progress, functioning, what is maintaining the depression and suicide risk. Plan: the next session, between-session practice, coordination with other providers and when you will repeat measures.
DAP has no separate intervention section, so put what you did in Data. Write functioning in concrete terms (work days missed, meals, time out of bed) because that is what shows change and medical necessity.
What to document in a DAP note for depression
| Section | What to document | Example wording |
|---|---|---|
| Data: client report | Mood, loss of interest, sleep, appetite, energy, concentration and daily activity, with examples | “Back at work 4 of 5 days; sleeping 7 h; still skipping lunch.” |
| Data: measures | PHQ-9 total (0 to 27) and item 9, with the comparison score | “PHQ-9 13 (intake 19); item 9 = 0.” |
| Data: interventions | The treatment and what you did, such as a thought record, behavioral activation or problem-solving | “Thought record on ‘I’m failing at everything’; belief 90% to 50%.” |
| Data: suicide screening | What you asked and what the client said, every session | “Denies thoughts of death or suicide, intent or plan.” |
| Assessment | Progress, functioning, maintaining factors and current risk | “Moderate depression, improving; acute risk low.” |
| Plan | Next session focus, practice, coordination and repeat measures | “Two thought records; repeat PHQ-9 in 2 weeks.” |
Suicide risk. Ask about suicide directly at every session with a depressed client and record the answer, including when item 9 of the PHQ-9 is 0. If a client reports suicidal thoughts, assess and record current thoughts, plan, intent, preparatory behavior, past attempts, access to means (including firearms and medications), protective factors, your risk formulation and the safety plan. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline takes calls and texts at 988; for imminent danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
How to Document DAP Notes for Depression
Data
Combine subjective reports and objective observations into a single data section
When documenting the Data section for depression, capture the client’s self-reported symptoms, specific presenting concerns, identifiable triggers, and observable mood and affect during the session. This section should provide a clear snapshot of the client’s current emotional and behavioral state.
- Client’s description of mood fluctuations and intensity since last session
- Reported frequency and duration of depressive symptoms such as sadness, hopelessness, or anhedonia
- Identification of recent stressors or triggers contributing to depressive episodes
- Client’s self-reported sleep patterns, appetite changes, and energy levels
- Observed affect congruency with reported mood (e.g., flat, tearful, irritable)
- Clinician’s observation of psychomotor activity and speech patterns related to depressive symptoms
- Description of specific therapeutic modalities applied (e.g., CBT, mindfulness, behavioral activation)
Assessment
Provide clinical analysis, treatment progress, and diagnostic considerations
In the Assessment section for depression, interpret the reports, observations, measures and interventions recorded in Data. Explain your judgment about progress, severity, functioning, diagnostic considerations and current suicide risk.
- Interpretation of the symptom and functioning changes recorded in Data
- Clinical interpretation of the client’s response to the interventions recorded in Data
- Clinical impression regarding severity and course of depression since last visit
- Evaluation of client’s engagement and insight during therapeutic interventions
- Consideration of differential diagnoses or comorbidities impacting depressive presentation
Plan
Document next steps, interventions, and follow-up scheduling
The Plan section for depression outlines the next steps in treatment, including homework assignments, any modifications to the therapeutic approach, referrals if needed, and scheduling of future sessions. It sets a roadmap for continued care and symptom management.
- Assign specific homework targeting behavioral activation or cognitive restructuring
- Adjust frequency or type of therapy sessions based on current symptom severity
- Plan for referral to psychiatry for medication evaluation if warranted
- Outline coping strategies client should practice between sessions to manage depressive symptoms
- Schedule follow-up session date and specify focus areas for next meeting
Example DAP note for depression (CBT cognitive restructuring)
Fictional documentation example, not treatment guidance. Every detail is invented. Adapt it to the session you actually provided and your organization’s requirements.
Session details: Fictional adult client, 52, major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate (F33.1). Session 7 of weekly 50-minute cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Sertraline is prescribed by her primary care provider.
Data: Client reports mood “4 out of 10, up from 2.” Back at work 4 of 5 days (1 to 2 days at intake); sleeping about 7 hours; still skipping lunch most days; walked twice this week as planned. Reports taking sertraline daily as prescribed, no side effects reported. PHQ-9: 13 (intake 19); item 9 scored 0. Casually dressed; affect constricted and brighter when talking about her grandson; speech slow but coherent; thought process linear. Reviewed last week’s activity schedule. Thought record on a work email that triggered “I’m failing at everything”: identified all-or-nothing thinking and listed evidence for and against; belief in the thought fell from 90% to 50%; balanced thought: “I missed one deadline and met the other three.” Asked directly about suicide: denies thoughts of death or suicide, intent or plan; no past attempts; no firearms at home.
Assessment: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate, improving: PHQ-9 down 6 points and work attendance and sleep better. Self-critical thinking after work setbacks continues to maintain low mood; the client was able to use the thought record in session, which supports continuing cognitive work. Skipped meals remain a concern for energy. Acute suicide risk judged low: no current thoughts of death or suicide, intent or plan, no past attempts, no firearm access; protective factors include her grandson, work and engagement in treatment.
Plan: Continue weekly CBT. Practice: two thought records this week on work setbacks; continue the two walks and add a planned lunch on workdays. Next session: review thought records and work on core beliefs about competence. With the client’s written authorization, update her primary care provider on progress. Repeat PHQ-9 in 2 weeks. Client knows to call or text 988 in a crisis and to call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department for imminent danger.
See a note like this in the editor: open a prepared fictional DAP note in MentalNote, no sign-up. For your own sessions, the DAP note generator drafts the note from a recorded session for you to review and edit.
Tips for DAP Notes for Depression
Put interventions in Data
DAP has no intervention section. Record the treatment and what you did in Data so the record shows care was delivered.
Write functioning in numbers
Work days attended, hours of sleep, meals and activities completed show change more clearly than “mood improved.”
Record PHQ-9 and item 9
Write the PHQ-9 total next to the earlier score and record item 9 separately.
Ask about suicide every session
Record what you asked and what the client said, even when the PHQ-9 item 9 is 0.
Link Assessment to Data
In Assessment, explain what the changes in Data mean, such as which thoughts or behaviors still maintain the depression.
Note coordination
Record contact with the prescriber or primary care provider and the authorization you have to share information.
Stop Spending Hours on Depression Documentation
Let AI handle the structural formatting and organization while you focus on what matters: your clinical work and client care. Mental Note AI drafts properly formatted notes for you to review, in the web app or in Microsoft Word.
Try a sample DAP note, no sign-upReady for your own sessions? Create a free account: 5 web-app scribe sessions a month, BAA included, no credit card.
Prefer Microsoft Word? Get the free Word add-in. Installs from Microsoft AppSource.
Ready to Write Better Notes Faster?
Mental Note AI drafts structured clinical notes for you to review and edit.
Try it freePrefer Microsoft Word? Get the free Word add-in. Installs from Microsoft AppSource.
No credit card required. Works directly in Microsoft Word. You review and edit every draft.
Further Reading
- DSM-5-TR — Provides standardized diagnostic criteria essential for accurately assessing and documenting depression.
- APA Documentation Guidelines — Offers detailed guidance on clinical note writing, including best practices for documenting mental health conditions like depression.
- NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) — Contains authoritative information on depression symptoms, treatment, and research to inform clinical assessments.