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Hamilton Scale for Depression

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Hamilton Scale for Depression


HAMD or HDRS was developed by Max Hamilton in 1960

● Clinician-rated, unlike Beck scales which are self-rated

● It starts with an item on depression and ends with one on obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

● The most widely used clinician-administered depression assessment scale.

● The original version contains 17 items (HDRS17) pertaining to symptoms of depression experienced over the past week. The HDRS was originally developed for hospital inpatients, thus the emphasis on melancholic and physical symptoms of depression. A later 21-item version (HDRS21) included 4 items intended to subtype the depression, but which are sometimes, incorrectly, used to rate severity. ● Only the first 17 should be used to measure the severity

● A limitation of the HDRS is that atypical symptoms of depression (e.g., hypersomnia, hyperphagia) are not assessed.

Scoring 
● The method for scoring varies by version. For the HDRS17, a score of 0–7 is generally accepted to be within the normal range (or in clinical remission), while a score of 20 or higher (indicating at least moderate severity) is usually required for entry into a clinical trial. Scores of 8—14— 19—23 or above respectively indicate mild, moderate, severe, and very severe depression.

Interpretation of HAM-D scores:  

NORMAL 0—7

MILD 8—13

MODERATE 4—18

SEVERE 19—22

VERY SEVERE 23 and above


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