Depression Assessment - SSRI Predictor

Complete Hamilton Depression Rating Scale - 17 items (clinically accurate version)

1. Depressed Mood - Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, helplessness

0 - Absent 1 - These feelings indicated only on questioning 2 - These feelings spontaneously reported verbally 3 - Communicates feeling states non-verbally (facial expression, posture, voice, tendency to weep) 4 - Reports virtually only these feeling states

2. Feelings of Guilt

0 - Absent 1 - Self-reproach, feels has let people down 2 - Ideas of guilt or rumination over past errors or sinful deeds 3 - Present illness is a punishment; delusions of guilt 4 - Hears accusatory or denunciatory voices and/or threatening visual hallucinations

3. Suicide

0 - Absent 1 - Feels life is not worth living 2 - Wishes were dead or any thoughts of possible death to self 3 - Suicidal ideas or gesture 4 - Attempts at suicide (any serious attempt rates 4)

4. Insomnia Early - Difficulty falling asleep

0 - No difficulty falling asleep 1 - Complains of occasional difficulty falling asleep (more than 30 minutes) 2 - Complains of nightly difficulty falling asleep

5. Insomnia Middle - Difficulty staying asleep

0 - No difficulty 1 - Patient complains of being restless and disturbed during the night 2 - Waking during the night (any getting out of bed except for voiding)

6. Insomnia Late - Early morning awakening

0 - No difficulty 1 - Waking in early hours of the morning but goes back to sleep 2 - Unable to fall asleep again once out of bed

7. Work and Activities

0 - No difficulty 1 - Thoughts and feelings of incapacity, fatigue or weakness related to activities, work or hobbies 2 - Loss of interest in activity, hobbies or work 3 - Decrease in actual time spent in activities or decrease in productivity 4 - Stopped working because of present illness

8. Retardation - Slowness of thought and speech, impaired ability to concentrate, decreased motor activity

0 - Normal speech and thought 1 - Slight retardation 2 - Obvious retardation 3 - Interview difficult 4 - Complete stupor

9. Agitation - Restlessness

0 - None 1 - Fidgetiness 2 - Playing with hands, hair, etc. 3 - Moving about, can't sit still 4 - Hand wringing, nail biting, hair-pulling, biting of lips

10. Anxiety Psychic - Tension, irritability, worrying

0 - No difficulty 1 - Subjective tension and irritability 2 - Worrying about minor matters 3 - Apprehensive attitude apparent in face or speech 4 - Fears expressed without questioning

11. Anxiety Somatic - Physical symptoms (dry mouth, stomach, palpitations, headaches, etc.)

0 - Absent 1 - Mild 2 - Moderate 3 - Severe 4 - Incapacitating

12. Somatic Symptoms Gastrointestinal - Loss of appetite, heavy feelings in abdomen

0 - None 1 - Loss of appetite but eating without staff encouragement; heavy feelings in abdomen 2 - Difficulty eating; requests or requires medication for bowels or GI symptoms

13. Somatic Symptoms General - Heaviness in limbs, back or head, muscle aches, loss of energy

0 - None 1 - Heaviness in limbs, back or head; backaches, headache, muscle aches; loss of energy and fatigability 2 - Any clear-cut symptom

14. Genital Symptoms - Loss of libido, menstrual disturbances

0 - Absent 1 - Mild 2 - Severe

15. Hypochondriasis - Preoccupation with health

0 - Not present 1 - Self-absorption (bodily) 2 - Preoccupation with health 3 - Frequent complaints, requests for help 4 - Hypochondriacal delusions

16. Loss of Weight

0 - No weight loss 1 - Probable weight loss associated with present illness 2 - Definite weight loss

17. Insight

0 - Acknowledges being depressed and ill 1 - Acknowledges illness but attributes cause to bad food, climate, overwork, virus, need for rest, etc. 2 - Denies being ill at all

Note: This is the standard HDRS-17 (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, 17-item version) adapted for self-assessment. Original HDRS-17 is clinician-administered. Total score range: 0-52. For clinical diagnosis, consult a healthcare professional.

HDRS-17 Depression Assessment