Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17)

Max Hamilton · 1960

Clinician-rated depression severity scale; content-localizable items coded as reported evidence.

The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS / HAM-D) is a clinician-administered measure of depression severity. This scale includes the content-localizable items — those that can be grounded in what the subject reports during an interview.

Used here as an evidence scale: highlight the span where the subject reports the experience an item measures (e.g. depressed mood, guilt, sleep disturbance) rather than a linguistic form. Items use their original, item-appropriate ranges (0-4 or 0-2). The suicide item flags clinical risk and should be escalated to a clinician regardless of coded severity.

Domains (11)

Depressed MoodDEP

Reported sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, or tearfulness.

Curated skill
GuiltGLT

Reported guilt, self-reproach, or feeling punished.

Curated skill
SuicideSUI

Reported that life is not worth living, death wishes, or suicidal ideas/acts.

Curated skill
InsomniaINS

Reported difficulty falling asleep, broken sleep, or early waking.

Curated skill
Work and ActivitiesWRK

Reported loss of interest in, or reduced capacity for, work and activities.

Curated skill
RetardationRET

Reported or observed slowness of thought, speech, and movement.

Curated skill
AgitationAGT

Reported or observed restlessness, fidgeting, or hand-wringing.

Curated skill
Psychic AnxietyANX

Reported subjective tension, worry, or apprehension.

Curated skill
Somatic SymptomsSOM

Reported bodily heaviness, aches, fatigability, or loss of energy.

Curated skill
HypochondriasisHYP

Reported preoccupation with bodily health or disease.

Curated skill
InsightINSG

Reported awareness of, or denial of, being ill or depressed.

Curated skill
Hamilton M. A rating scale for depression. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1960;23(1):56-62. doi:10.1136/jnnp.23.1.56

Public domain (Hamilton 1960); freely reproducible.