What Is the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale?

The Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) was compiled by Hamilton in 1959. It was one of the most commonly used scales in psychiatry clinics, including 14 items. CCMD-3 Chinese Diagnostic Standards for Mental Illness lists it as an important diagnostic tool for anxiety, and it is often used clinically as a basis for the diagnosis and degree division of anxiety.

Hamilton Anxiety Scale

The Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) was compiled by Hamilton in 1959. It was one of the most commonly used scales in psychiatry clinics, including 14 items. CCMD-3 Chinese Diagnostic Standards for Mental Illness lists it as

It is mainly used to assess the severity of anxiety symptoms in neurosis and other patients, but it is not suitable for estimating anxiety states in various mental illnesses. At the same time, compared with the HAMD (Hamilton Depression Scale), there are some repeated items, such as depression, physical anxiety, gastrointestinal symptoms, and insomnia, so it is not possible to distinguish anxiety from depression.

HAMA should be jointly inspected by two trained assessors. Generally speaking and observation methods are used. After the inspection, the two assessors will score independently. When assessing the improvement of anxiety symptoms before or after psychological or pharmacological intervention, first evaluate the situation at the time of enrollment or one week before enrollment, and then evaluate again 2 to 6 weeks after intervention to compare the severity of anxiety symptoms and the symptom spectrum. Variety.

All items of HAMA adopt a 5-point scoring method with 0 to 4 points, and the standards for each level are:

0 points: no symptoms; 1 point: light; 2 points: moderate; 3 points: heavy; 4 points: extremely heavy.

I. Anxiety: Worry, worry, feel that the worst is about to happen, and easily irritated.

Second, nervousness: nervousness, easy fatigue, can't relax, emotional response, easy to cry, tremble, feel uneasy.

3. Fear: Fear of darkness, strangers, being alone, animals, traveling by car or traveling, and crowded places.

Fourth, insomnia: difficult to fall asleep, easy to wake up, not deep sleep,

1. Analysis of anxiety factors: HAMA classifies anxiety factors into two categories, physical and mental. Physical anxiety: Scores of seven to thirteen items are relatively high. Psychological anxiety: scores one to six and fourteen are higher.

2. The total score of HAMA can better reflect the severity of anxiety symptoms. The total score can be used to evaluate the severity of anxiety symptoms in patients with anxiety and depression and to evaluate the effects of various drugs and psychological interventions. According to the information provided by the China Collaboration Group: total score 29 points, which may be severe anxiety; 21 points, there must be obvious anxiety; 14 points, there must be anxiety; more than 7 points, there may be anxiety; if less than 7 points , There are no symptoms of anxiety.

The analysis of HAMA physical and mental factors can not only reflect the patient's psychopathological characteristics, but also reflect the therapeutic effect of the target symptom group. ^[1]