Psychological Measures

Psychological Measures

Psychological Measures

Depression is a psychiatric disorder, which can cause persistent feelings of sadness and loss of energy, and at times suicidal ideations (Byck, 2012). There are also physical symptoms, such as low energy and sleep patterns that can appear in some people affected by depression. In 1960 Max Hamilton published a questionnaire that today many clinicians use to rate the severity of their patients depression. This multiple choice questionnaire is known as the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (Olden, Rosenfeld, Pessin, & Breitbart, 2009). The following articles will discuss details of how the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale is used both in research and in practice.

Article Summary

The first article is Reliability and validity of the Hamilton Depression. The self-report, paper-and-pencil version of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS; M. Hamilton, 1960) was developed (Reynolds, 1995). The self report helps with different fields of depression in patients. There is a wide range for depression and each area needs to undergo examination. The rating scale shows the areas that may need more attention than others. A sample of psychiatric outpatients with major depression (n = 140), anxiety disorders (n = 99), and no referred community adults (n = 118), the HDI forms demonstrated high levels of reliability (r [sub]α[sub]  = .91 to .94, r [sub]tt[sub]  = .95 to .96)(Reynolds, 1995). The scale lets the doctors and or therapist do their jobs the best they can.

The second article is over the adult depression. “Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, in a sample of primary care patients participating in a randomized, control trial of treatments for major depression (Brown, Scjulberg, & Madonia, (1995). This treatment plan is for before, during, and after the treatment plan to help the patient stay on positive plan. The design of the each patient’s plan is tailored to target each problem area. In...