psychiatry

Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A)

14-item clinician-administered scale measuring anxiety severity. Each item rated 0–4. Total score 0–56. Widely used in clinical trials and clinical practice for anxiety disorders.

Anxious mood (worries, anticipation of the worst, fearful anticipation)*

Tension (feelings of tension, fatigability, inability to relax, trembling)*

Fears (of dark, strangers, being left alone, animals, crowds, traffic)*

Insomnia (difficulty falling asleep, broken sleep, unsatisfying sleep, dreams, nightmares)*

Intellectual (cognitive) — difficulty concentrating, poor memory*

Depressed mood (loss of interest, anhedonia, early waking, diurnal variation)*

Somatic (muscular) — pains, twitching, stiffness, teeth grinding*

Somatic (sensory) — tinnitus, blurred vision, hot flushes, weakness*

Cardiovascular symptoms — tachycardia, palpitations, chest pain*

Respiratory symptoms — chest tightness, choking, sighing, dyspnoea*

Gastrointestinal symptoms — dysphagia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, weight loss*

Genitourinary symptoms — urinary frequency, dysmenorrhoea, loss of libido, impotence*

Autonomic symptoms — dry mouth, flushing, pallor, tendency to sweat*

Behaviour at interview — fidgeting, restlessness, tremor, furrowed brow, tense face*

References

Hamilton M. The assessment of anxiety states by rating. Br J Med Psychol. 1959;32(1):50–55.

Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.

Pathways

Decision support only — verify against MDCalc, NICE, or your local guideline before clinical use.

References

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