Hamilton Anxiety Scale Calculator

How does this Hamilton anxiety rating scale calculator work?

This is a health psychological questionnaire that works as an anxiety test, being one of the first models implemented in the rating of anxiety symptoms severity. It is nowadays used in both clinical situations and in research.

It can be used by both adults and children and comprises of 14 areas of symptoms analyzed that are to be answered in about 15 minutes. It evaluates levels of anxiety at the moment, the overall functioning of the patient and can also be used to monitor changes in the symptoms in time.

This Hamilton anxiety scale calculator addresses anxiety symptoms in terms of mental state, cognitive and physical condition. For each of the 14 questions, the subject can select one of the five answers available according to the feelings and experiences he or she has, as discussed in the scoring paragraph below.

1. Anxiety mood – refers to worries, pessimistic and fearful anticipation, irritability at certain thoughts.
2. Tension – Feelings of tension, startle, fatigability, quick to cry, restlessness or trembling.
3. Fears of different kinds – various phobias from fear of dark, strangers to fear of isolation.
4. Insomnia – different sleep issues, from lack of sleep, difficulty falling asleep, sleep walking, nightmares.
5. Intellectual response – poor concentration and memory troubles.
6. Depressed mood – Lack and loss of interested in previously enjoyed activities, depression, anhedoni.
7. Somatic muscular response – Pains and aches, stiffness, twitching, stiffness, grinding of teeth and increased muscular tone.
8. Somatic sensory response – Weakness, tinnitus, vision flashes and blurring, distorted temperature perception.
9. Cardiovascular symptoms – Palpitations, tachycardia, chest pain, throbbing of vessels.
10. Respiratory symptoms – Choking sensation, chest pain or pressure, dyspnea, sighing.
11. Gastrointestinal symptoms – Nausea, abdominal pain, burning sensation, vomiting, constipation, weight loss.
12. Genitourinary symptoms – Urinary frequency, urinary urgency, frigidity, dysmenorrhea, impotence.
13. Autonomic symptoms – Headaches, dry mouth, sweating, pallor.
14. Interview behavior – Restlessness, fidgeting, increased respiration rhythm, hand tremor.

HAM-A rating scores

This anxiety model is clinician rated and is scored based on the five choices given for each of the 14 criteria. The clinician uses observation to identify how the patient experiences or displays each of the areas of focus. The five point ratio scale is discussed below:

■ 0 – not present;

■ 1 – mild prevalence of the symptoms or feelings;

■ 2 – moderate prevalence of the feelings or symptoms;

■ 3 – severe display of feelings and symptoms;

■ 4 – very severe prevalence of the feelings, symptoms in the patient.

HAM-A result interpretation

The total of the evaluation comprises of the sum of the scores for each criteria which is between 0 to 56. Scores of 17 or below indicate mild anxiety severity. Scores between 18 and 24 suggest a mild to moderate stage while score between 25 and 30 are indicative for a moderate to severe anxiety severity. What is above 30 means very severe anxiety.

An example of a result would be: According to the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale the answers provided in the HAM-A questionnaire are indicative of a mild to moderate severity anxiety condition.

Anxiety as a symptom, as a disorder

Anxiety is defined first as an emotion that is characterized by an inner state of turmoil, worry and even fear. It is often accompanied by somatic symptoms because of the fight or flight reaction of the human body.

Whilst it is normal to feel anxious at times and at unease in certain situations there is a limit to where the normal ends and pathologic begins and where anxiety becomes a serious symptom of a mental illness.

The specific one is called generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) but there are several conditions displaying anxiety as a symptom like different specific phobias, meaning fears, panic disorder with panic attacks or the social anxiety disorder also known as social phobia.

Other tests and calculators on anxiety:

- The Social anxiety test provides a quick assessment on the social interactions of the subject and whether those trigger anxious symptoms. Go to the Social anxiety test!

- The Anxiety disorder test evaluates whether the subject suffers from an anxious mental illness and whether they have exhibited any anxious attacks. Go to the Anxiety disorder test!

References

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

2) 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.

3) Borkovec T and Costello E. Efficacy of applied relaxation and cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. J Clin Consult Psychol 1993; 61(4):611–19.