Description: The HDRS (also known as the Ham-D) is 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. Although the scale was designed for completion after an unstructured clinical interview, there are now semi-structured interview guides available. 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. A limitation of the HDRS is that atypical symptoms of depression (e.g., hypersomnia, hyperphagia) are not assessed (see SIGH-SAD, page 55).

Purpose: Measures Depressive symtpoms

Format: PDF

Permissions: It is in public domain (To be used by trained Clinicians only)

Reference: Hamilton, M. (1960). A rating scale for depression. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, 23(1), 56.