Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression abbreviated HDRS, HRSD or HAM-D, measures depression in individuals before, during and after treatment. The scale is administered by a health care professional and contains 21 items, but is scored based on the first 17 items, which are measured either on 5-point or 3-point scales. It takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete and score.   Hamilton, M. (1960). A rating scale for depression. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 23, 56-61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.23.1.56   Trajković, G., Starčević, V., Latas, M., Leštarević, M., Ille, T., Bukumirić, Z., & Marinković, J. (2011). Reliability of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression: A meta-analysis over a period of 49 years. Psychiatry Research, 189(1), 1-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2010.12.007 More Information A Rating Scale for Depression (PDF, 1.3MB) How to Access The HAM-D (PDF, 22KB) is in the public domain and no permiss