Survey Doctor's current HAM-D adds 17 clinician ratings to a 0-52 total and displays five score bands, but they are product labels, not universal cutoffs. A total does not diagnose depression, establish remission, or choose treatment. The exact modern form matching this product remains unresolved.
HAM-D score ranges on Survey Doctor
| Total score | Current display label |
|---|---|
| 0-7 | Normal |
| 8-13 | Mild depression |
| 14-18 | Moderate depression |
| 19-22 | Severe depression |
| 23-52 | Very severe depression |
These labels describe Survey Doctor's current display. They were not part of Hamilton's original scale, and other sources use different boundaries. The 0-7 label does not prove that a person is well or in remission. None of the labels confirms a depressive disorder or sets a level of care.
Why the exact HAM-D version matters
Hamilton's 1960 paper described 17 clinician ratings for people who already had a depression diagnosis. Later HAM-D and HDRS forms differ. They can change the item count, wording, anchors, branches, and scoring rules.
Survey Doctor reports 17 scored items and a maximum of 52. Because other HAM-D forms can use different questions, anchors, and scoring rules, record the exact form and interview method before comparing results.
What the total represents
The HAM-D combines clinician ratings across mood, interest and activity, sleep, movement, anxiety, physical symptoms, weight, and insight. Some ratings depend on what the person reports. Others depend partly on what the clinician observes.
Two people can reach the same total through different symptom patterns, and the number cannot explain the cause, measure daily life, or show which symptoms need the most attention.
Physical illness, medication effects, grief, bipolar disorder, substance use, and other conditions can overlap with depression symptoms. Causes can overlap. A clinician needs to consider them instead of treating the total as a diagnosis.
Safety cannot be read from the total
One HAM-D item concerns suicide. Survey Doctor's native workflow records a safety signal when that stored response is above zero. It then shows safety resources. This safety rule does not establish current risk. A manual or imported total cannot recover the individual response. Safety must be assessed directly.
If you need help now. In the US, Call 988 or text 988. Call 911 if you are in immediate danger. Outside the US, contact your local emergency number or find support in your country.
Get immediate help if you may act on thoughts of death or self-harm or cannot keep yourself safe. Treat any other life-threatening emergency with the same urgency. Clinicians should follow their organization's direct safety and emergency protocol regardless of the total.
Why administration affects the score
The interview method matters. Williams and colleagues developed a structured guide after finding poor agreement on some items with less standard interviewing.
In a primary care study, a set 17-item interview produced high agreement on the total among 42 patients. That result applies to one method and sample. It does not prove that every HAM-D form or interview will produce the same score.
Use the same form, recall period, interview method, and scoring rules when comparing results. A change can reflect symptoms, health, medication, rater method, or several factors at once.
Reading change over time
A lower repeated total means that the ratings summed to fewer points. It does not prove that the person improved or explain why the total changed. A higher total does not prove that one condition worsened.
Clinical trials use different response and remission rules. Those study rules are not universal instructions for one person. Review the symptom pattern, daily functioning, safety, adverse effects, and clinical course with the treating professional.
HAM-D versus PHQ-9
The HAM-D is rated by a clinician from interview and observation. The PHQ-9 is a separate questionnaire that the patient answers. These tools differ. One is not a shorter version of the other, and their totals and score bands are not interchangeable.
The PHQ-9 can support routine depression screening. The HAM-D can provide a clinician rating under a defined method. Neither total can replace a diagnosis or safety check.
The useful bottom line
Read the HAM-D total under the exact version and method that produced it. Survey Doctor's current labels organize its display, but they do not diagnose depression, prove remission, or choose care.