XXXXXXXX Anxiety Rating Scale. The Xxxxxxxx Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) was developed to fill the gap in available scales measuring the reduction in severity of anxiety symptoms and changes due to therapeutic treatment. The HAM-A is intended for clients who have been diagnosed with neurotic anxiety states. However it may only be used to assess neurotic anxiety states and not for assessing anxiety in clients diagnosed with other disorders that may show symptoms of anxiety (Xxxxxxxx, 1960). The assessment also focuses largely on somatic symptoms. Like all of the prior assessments discussed, the HAM-A is administered in a one-on-one interview with a primary counselor. It is a simple-to-use assessment instrument that takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Each of the 14 items is scored with a five-point scale from not present (0) to very severe (4), yielding a total denomination of 56 with higher scores indicating increasing anxiety. The validity and reliability of the HAM-A has been demonstrated in many clinical studies measuring clinically significant levels of anxiety and it is therefore the most widely used scale in studies of anxiety and treatment outcomes (Xxxxx et al., 1994). Structured interview guides have also been developed to increase inter-rater reliability of this assessment tool (Xxxxx et al., 1994; Xxxxx et al., 2001). These guides allow the scale to be administered in settings where extensive training is difficult or not possible. Trainings and guided assessments provide knowledge and a particular emphasis on the disorders being measured. It is necessary for counselors and other care administrators to be cognizant of the fact that results of an investigation may be very different if different assessment scales are used (Xxxxxxxx et al., 1996). The HAM-A has therefore been designated at Skyland Trail as the assessment for measuring symptoms of anxiety and changes in symptoms due to treatment over time. The treatment goal at Skyland Trail is a score less than 17 on the HAM-A.
XXXXXXXX Anxiety Rating Scale
