The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, also known as the HARS or HAM-A helps detect the extensiveness of anxiety using clinical ratings to help better understand individuals with already diagnosed conditions. The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale is a clinician-administered questionnaire designed to assess the severity of a patient’s anxiety symptoms. It consists of 14 items each rated on a scale from 0 (not present) to 4 (severe), covering both psychic anxiety (mental agitation) and somatic anxiety (physical symptoms). The total score ranges from 0-56, with higher scores indicating more severe anxiety. Developed by Max Hamilton in 1959, it remains widely used in both clinical and research settings.
Who can Use?
Clinicians
Where can I find this Assessment?
The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale is in the public domain. However, here is a link to the assessment: https://dcf.psychiatry.ufl.edu/files/2011/05/HAMILTON-ANXIETY.pdf.
Citations
Hamilton M. The assessment of anxiety states by rating. Br J Med Psychol 1959; 32:50–55.
Maier W, Buller R, Philipp M, Heuser I. The Hamilton Anxiety Scale: reliability, validity and sensitivity to change in anxiety and depressive disorders. J Affect Disord 1988;14(1):61–8
Borkovec T and Costello E. Efficacy of applied relaxation and cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of generalized anxiety dis