Brief Description
The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) is a clinician-administered assessment designed to measure the severity of anxiety symptoms in individuals. It includes 14 items that evaluate both psychological and physical symptoms of anxiety (e.g., anxious mood, cardiovascular symptoms), making it a valuable tool for assessing treatment progress in clinical and research settings. The HAM-A is widely used to gauge symptom severity in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and other anxiety-related conditions.
Assessment Administration Type
Clinician-administered
Number of questions
14
Age Range for Administration
18+
Recommended Frequency of Administration
The HAM-A can be administered at intake to establish a baseline for anxiety symptoms and then at regular intervals (every 2 to 4 weeks) to monitor treatment progress. It may also be used at the beginning and end of treatment or research interventions.
Summary of Scoring and Interpretations
The HAM-A consists of 14 items, each rated on a scale from 0 (not present) to 4 (severe). The total score, calculated by summing all items, ranges from 0 to 56, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety severity. See the table below for score interpretation:
Total Score | Interpretation |
0-7 | No/Minimal Anxiety |
8-14 | Mild Anxiety |
15-23 | Moderate Anxiety |
24+ | Severe Anxiety |
While there are various research supported cut-off scores, Blueprint uses the cut-off scores recommended by Matza and colleagues. The scale does not have formal subscales, but it covers psychological symptoms (e.g., anxious mood, tension, fears) and somatic symptoms (e.g., cardiovascular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal disturbances).
Blueprint Adjustments
N/A
Clinical Considerations
Estimated completion time: 10-15 minutes
The HAM-A is clinician-administered, requiring trained professionals for consistent and reliable scoring.
It is not a diagnostic tool but an indicator of anxiety severity and treatment response.
The measure focuses on generalized anxiety symptoms and may not fully capture disorder-specific anxiety (e.g., social anxiety, panic disorder, OCD).
Regular administration can help track treatment effectiveness but should be used alongside other clinical assessments.
Cultural and individual differences should be considered when interpreting results, as anxiety presentations may vary.
Citation
Relevant Articles + Further Resources
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