Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 17 Item Clinical Classification

**Semantic type:** Intellectual Product

**Definition:** A standardized rating scale developed by M. Hamilton in 1960 which is used to evaluate the severity of an individual's depression. This instrument contains 17 questions or types of symptoms associated with depression such as anxiety, mood, insomnia, and somatic symptoms experienced within the past week and is completed during a semi-structured interview. Each symptom is rated on a scale of 0-2, 0-3, or 0-4 with 0 being absent and 2, 3, or 4 being the most severe. A score of 0-7 is considered normal while a score equal to or greater than 20 qualifies an individual for a clinical trial.

**Synonyms:** - HAMD 17 - HAMD1