H AMILTON D EPRESSION R ATING SCALE (HAM-D)
(To be administered by a health care professional)
Patient Name ________________________________________________ Today’s Date __________________
The HAM-D is designed to rate the severity of depression in patients. Although it contains 21 areas, calculate the patient’s
score on the first 17 answers.
■ 1. DEPRESSED MOOD
(Gloomy attitude, pessimism about the future,
feeling of sadness, tendency to weep)
■ 6. INSOMNIA - Delayed
(Waking in early hours of the morning and
unable to fall asleep again)
0 = Absent 0 = Absent
1 = Sadness, etc. 1 = Occasional
2 = Occasional weeping 2 = Frequent
3 = Frequent weeping
4 = Extreme symptoms
■ 7. WORK AND INTERESTS
0 = No difficulty
■ 2. FEELINGS OF GU ILT
0 = Absent
1 = Self-reproach, feels he/she has let people
1 = Feelings of incapacity, listlessness, indeci-
sion and vacillation
2 = Loss of interest in hobbies, decreased social
down activities
2 = Ideas of guilt 3 = Productivity decreased
3 = Present illness is a punishment; delusions 4 = Unable to work. Stopped working because
of guilt of present illness only. (Absence from work
4 = Hallucinations of guilt after treatment or recovery may rate a lower
score).
■ 3. SU ICIDE
0 = Absent
1 = Feels life is not worth living ■ 8. RETARDATION
(Slowness of thought, speech, and activity;
apathy; stupor.)
2 = Wishes he/she were dead
0 = Absent
3 = Suicidal ideas or gestures
1 = Slight retardation at interview
4 = Attempts at suicide
2 = Obvious retardation at interview
3 = Interview difficult
4 = Complete stupor
■ 4. INSOMNIA - Initial
(Difficulty in falling asleep)
0 = Absent
1 = Occasional
2 = Frequent
■ 9. AGITATION
(Restlessness associated with anxiety.)
0 = Absent
1 = Occasional
2 = Frequent
■ 5. INSOMNIA - Middle
(Complains of being restless and disturbed
during the night. Waking during the night.)
0 = Absent
1 = Occasional
■ 10. ANXIETY - PSYCHIC
0 = No difficulty
1 = Tension and irritability
2 = Frequent
2 = Worrying about minor matters
3 = Apprehensive attitude
4 = Fears
H AMILTON D EPRESSION R ATING SCALE (HAM-D)
(To be administered by a health care professional)
■ 11. ANXIETY - SOMATIC
Gastrointestinal, indigestion
Cardiovascular, palpitation, Headaches
■ 17. INSIGHT
(Insight must be interpreted in terms of pa-
tient’s understanding and background.)
Respiratory, Genito-urinary, etc. 0 = No loss
0 = Absent 1 = Partial or doubtfull loss
1 = Mild 2 = Loss of insight
2 = Moderate
3 = Severe
4 = Incapacitating TOTAL ITEMS 1 TO 17: _______________
0 - 7 = Normal
8 - 13 = Mild Depression
■ 12. SOMATIC SYMPTOMS - 14-18 = Moderate Depression
GASTROINTESTINAL 19 - 22 = Severe Depression
(Loss of appetite , heavy feeling in abdomen; > 23 = Very Severe Depression
constipation)
0 = Absent
1 = Mild
■
2 = Severe 18. DIURNAL VARIATION
(Symptoms worse in morning or evening.
Note which it is. )
■ 13. SOMATIC SYMPTOMS - GENERAL
(Heaviness in limbs, back or head; diffuse
backache; loss of energy and fatiguability)
0 = No variation
1 = Mild variation; AM ( ) PM ( )
2 = Severe variation; AM ( ) PM ( )
0 = Absent
1 = Mild
■
2 = Severe 19. DEPERSONALIZATION AND
DEREALIZATION
(feelings of unreality, nihilistic ideas)
■ 14. GENITAL SYMPTOMS
(Loss of libido, menstrual disturbances)
0 = Absent
0 = Absent
1 = Mild
2 = Moderate
1 = Mild 3 = Severe
2 = Severe 4 = Incapacitating
■ 15. HYPOCHONDRIASIS
0 = Not present ■ 20. PARANOID SYMPTOMS
(Not with a depressive quality)
0 = None
1 = Self-absorption (bodily)
2 = Preoccupation with health 1 = Suspicious
3 = Querulous attitude 2 = Ideas of reference
4 = Hypochondriacal delusions 3 = Delusions of reference and persecution
4 = Hallucinations, persecutory
■ 16. WEIGHT LOSS
0 = No weight loss
1 = Slight
■ 21. OBSESSIONAL SYMPTOMS
(Obsessive thoughts and compulsions against
which the patient struggles)
2 = Obvious or severe
0 = Absent
1 = Mild
2 = Severe
* Adapted from Hamilton, M. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. 23:56-62, 1960.
