Question 1

Is the HAM-A clinician-administered or self-report?

Accepted Answer

The HAM-A is clinician-administered, requiring a trained clinician to conduct a clinical interview and rate 14 items. Item 14 ('Behavior at interview') specifically requires observed behaviors during the encounter, making self-report inherently impossible for the full scale.

Question 2

What are the validated severity cutoff scores for the HAM-A?

Accepted Answer

The Matza et al. (2010) validated cutoffs are: 0-7 (no/minimal anxiety), 8-14 (mild), 15-23 (moderate), and 24+ (severe), based on clinicians' CGI-S ratings. An older system uses 0-17 (mild), 18-24 (moderate), 25-30 (severe), but lacks empirical validation.

Question 3

How is the HAM-A used in clinical trials?

Accepted Answer

The HAM-A is one of the most widely used primary outcome measures in GAD treatment trials. A 50% or greater reduction from baseline defines treatment response, while a total score of 7 or less defines remission. Its sensitivity to change makes it valuable for tracking treatment efficacy.

Question 4

What is the recall period for the HAM-A?

Accepted Answer

The HAM-A assesses symptoms over the past week. The clinician asks the patient to reflect on the preceding seven days. This one-week timeframe makes it particularly sensitive to short-term changes, which is advantageous for monitoring treatment response.

Question 5

What does my HAM-A score mean?

Accepted Answer

We have a detailed scoring guide that explains how to interpret your HAM-A results, including severity ranges and recommended clinical actions. Read our full scoring guide.

HAM-A: Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale

Clinician-administered HAM-A assessment. Gold standard 14-item anxiety severity rating scale for clinical trials and treatment monitoring in research and practice.

Frequently asked questions

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