Exam

Hamilton Depression Scale

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Hamilton Depression Scale, Ham-D

  • Background
  1. Twenty one question Survey completed by physician
  • Questions
  1. Depressed mood (0 to 4)
  2. Feelings of guilt (0 to 4)
  3. Suicide (0 to 4)
  4. Insomnia
    1. Early (0 to 2)
    2. Middle (0 to 2)
    3. Late (0 to 2)
  5. Work activities (0 to 4)
  6. Retardation to stupor (0 to 4)
  7. Agitation (0 to 2)
  8. Fear (0 to 4)
  9. Anxiety (0 to 4)
  10. Gastrointestinal symptoms (0 to 2)
  11. Systemic somatic symptoms (0 to 2)
  12. Decreased libido or menstrual disturbance (0 to 2)
  13. Hypochondriasis (0 to 4)
  14. Weight loss (0 to 2)
  15. Diminished insight (0 to 2)
  16. Symptom diurnal variation (1 to 2)
  17. Feelings of unreality (0 to 4)
  18. Paranoid symptoms (0 to 3)
  19. Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms (0 to 2)
  • Resources
  1. Hamilton Scale from University of Iowa
    1. http://fpinfo.medicine.uiowa.edu/Docs/hamd.pdf
  • Limitations
  • Not ideal for older patients
  1. Somatic questions positive in non-depressed older adult
    1. Gastrointestinal symptoms
    2. Systemic somatic symptoms
  2. Consider alternative depression scales
    1. Geriatric Depression Scale
  3. References
    1. Geddes (2002) Am Fam Physician 65(7):1395-7 [PubMed]
  • Resources
  1. University of Iowa FPInfo Depression Scales
    1. http://fpinfo.medicine.uiowa.edu/calculat.htm
  2. University of Massachusetts Psychiatry Scales
    1. http://healthnet.umassmed.edu/mhealth/mhscales.cfm