Hamilton Depression Rating Scale
HAM-D is a clinician-rated depression scale with several published item-set lengths. Lirena uses the original 17-item form (HDRS17). This page is a catalogue landing for clinics, not a self-test.
Overview
What is the HAM-D?
The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale is among the oldest clinician-rated depression measures still referenced in research and some services. Multiple item counts and scoring conventions exist. Naming HAM-D without specifying the form is not enough for clinical operations.
Development and clinical use
Max Hamilton published the scale in 1960. Later groups produced 17-item, 21-item, and other variants, plus structured interview guides. Services must name the version they actually use.
- Administrator
- Trained clinician
- Item set
- HDRS17 (17 items)
- Mode
- Interview and rating
- Typical use
- Severity monitoring
- Score range
- 0-52
- Clinical role
- Severity support
Administration
A focused clinician rating
A clinician rates items after interview using the chosen version's anchors. It is not a client-completed questionnaire. Digital use still requires the official item set and rater instructions.
- One rated item at a time with visible progress
- Keyboard-operable response choices
- Previous, next, and review steps for the rater
- Clear confirmation that the rating is stored for clinic review
For each item the rater selects the one cue that best characterizes the patient.
Report showcase
Designed to make evidence easy to review
The downloadable synthetic example illustrates report layout using invented response patterns, without patient data or instrument questions.
- Named instrument, version, and provenance
- Item-level response pattern without source wording
- Methodology, references, and clinical boundary
- Responsible clinician review rather than automated conclusions
Clinician review required
Methodology
Understand the measure and its scoring conventions
Lirena stores the HDRS17 form with each item's printed cues. Nine items are rated 0-4 and eight are rated 0-2, for a 0-52 total reported in the Zimmerman et al. (2013) ranges: no depression 0-7, mild 8-16, moderate 17-23 and severe 24 and above. Compare scores only between HDRS17 ratings.
References
- Original Hamilton scaleHamilton M. A rating scale for depression. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1960;23:56-62.
- HAM-D severity rangesZimmerman M, Martinez JH, Young D, Chelminski I, Dalrymple K. Severity classification on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. J Affect Disord. 2013;150(2):384-388.
Questions
What clinics ask before they evaluate the HAM-D
These answers stay inside educational catalogue scope. They do not replace official manuals or clinician judgement.
Which HAM-D is this catalogue entry?
The original 17-item HDRS (Hamilton 1960), scored 0-52. Other lengths, such as the 21-item version, give scores that are not comparable.
Can patients fill HAM-D themselves?
No. It is clinician-rated. Do not convert it into an unsupervised self-report without an authorised adaptation.
Does HAM-D diagnose depression?
No. It is a rated severity instrument used inside clinician-led assessment.
Can I complete it here?
No. This is an educational landing, not a live rating session.