hamilton_depression_scale: Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D)

Description

Calculates the HAM-D score (17-item version), the gold standard clinician-administered assessment for determining the severity of depression. It evaluates mood, vegetative functions, cognitive symptoms, and somatic complaints.

Usage

hamilton_depression_scale(depressed_mood, guilt, suicide, insomnia_early,
                          insomnia_middle, insomnia_late, work_activities,
                          retardation, agitation, anxiety_psychic,
                          anxiety_somatic, somatic_gi, somatic_general,
                          genital_symptoms, hypochondriasis, weight_loss,
                          insight)

Value

A list containing:

HAM_D_Score: The calculated total score (Range 0-52).
Severity_Category: Clinical interpretation of the score.

Arguments

depressed_mood: Numeric (0-4). Sadness, hopeless, helpless, worthless.
guilt: Numeric (0-4). Self-reproach, feeling that they have let people down.
suicide: Numeric (0-4). Thoughts that life is not worth living, suicidal ideas or attempts.
insomnia_early: Numeric (0-2). Difficulty falling asleep.
insomnia_middle: Numeric (0-2). Waking during the night.
insomnia_late: Numeric (0-2). Waking in early hours of the morning.
work_activities: Numeric (0-4). Thoughts/feelings of incapacity, loss of interest, decrease in actual time spent.
retardation: Numeric (0-4). Slowness of thought and speech, impaired ability to concentrate, decreased motor activity.
agitation: Numeric (0-4). Fidgeting, playing with hands/hair, moving about.
anxiety_psychic: Numeric (0-4). Subjective tension and irritability, worrying.
anxiety_somatic: Numeric (0-4). Physiological concomitants of anxiety (e.g., GI, CV, respiratory).
somatic_gi: Numeric (0-2). Loss of appetite, heavy feeling in abdomen, constipation.
somatic_general: Numeric (0-2). Heaviness in limbs, back, or head; loss of energy.
genital_symptoms: Numeric (0-2). Loss of libido, menstrual disturbances.
hypochondriasis: Numeric (0-4). Absorption in self, bodily concerns.
weight_loss: Numeric (0-2). Weight loss associated with present illness.
insight: Numeric (0-2). Acknowledgment of being depressed/ill.

Details

The standard 17-item scale is scored as follows:

0-7: Normal
8-13: Mild Depression
14-18: Moderate Depression
19-22: Severe Depression
>=23: Very Severe Depression

References

Hamilton M. A rating scale for depression. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1960;23:56-62. doi:10.1136/jnnp.23.1.56

Examples

Run this code


# Example 1: Severe Depression
# High scores across mood, guilt, suicide, and somatic symptoms
hamilton_depression_scale(3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0)

# Example 2: Normal/Remission
# Minimal symptoms
hamilton_depression_scale(0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0)

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