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Hamilton Depression Rating Scale Form Template

Assess Depression Severity Effectively with Our Form Template

If you need a reliable way to evaluate depression symptoms, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale form template can help. This template is designed for mental health professionals looking to accurately assess the severity of their patients' depression, enabling effective treatment planning and progress tracking. You can easily identify key symptoms, streamline patient assessments, and enhance communication within your practice while ensuring WCAG-aligned accessibility. Start exploring how this template can fit your needs today.

Use this Template (FREE) Live Preview
Patient full name
Date of birth
Patient ID or MRN (optional)
Assessment date
Assessor full name
Assessment setting
Outpatient
Inpatient
Emergency
Telehealth
Other
Please Specify:
Time frame considered for ratings
Past 7 days
Past 2 weeks
Past month
Current state (today)
Other/Not specified
Consent to conduct and record this assessment obtained
Yes
No
Depressed mood (sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness)
0 Absent
1 Mild (only on questioning)
2 Moderate (reported spontaneously)
3 Severe (nonverbal indicators present)
4 Very severe (profound, pervasive)
Not assessed
Feelings of guilt
0 Absent
1 Mild self-reproach
2 Persistent guilt thoughts or rumination
3 Delusional guilt or believes illness is punishment
4 Guilt-related hallucinations
Not assessed
Suicidal thoughts and behavior
0 Absent
1 Feels life is not worth living
2 Wishes to be dead or has thoughts of death
3 Ideas or gestures of suicide
4 Suicide attempt(s)
Not assessed
Insomnia: early (difficulty falling asleep)
0 No difficulty falling asleep
1 Occasional difficulty falling asleep
2 Nightly difficulty falling asleep
Not assessed
Insomnia: middle (sleep continuity)
0 No difficulty
1 Restless or disturbed sleep with awakenings
2 Wakes during the night and has difficulty resuming sleep
Not assessed
Insomnia: late (early morning awakening)
0 No early morning awakening
1 Wakes early but returns to sleep
2 Unable to return to sleep after early awakening
Not assessed
Work and activities (interest, effort, productivity)
0 No difficulty
1 Thoughts/feelings of incapacity, fatigue, or weakness
2 Loss of interest; decreased initiative or indecision
3 Marked reduction in activities or productivity
4 Stopped activities or requires assistance to function
Not assessed
Psychomotor retardation (slowness of thought, speech, or movement)
0 None
1 Slight slowness
2 Clear retardation
3 Marked retardation
4 Extreme retardation
Not assessed
Agitation (restlessness or increased motor activity)
0 None
1 Slight restlessness
2 Observable agitation (e.g., fidgeting, pacing)
3 Marked agitation
4 Severe, persistent agitation
Not assessed
Anxiety: psychic (tension, worry, apprehension)
0 Absent
1 Mild subjective tension or irritability
2 Persistent worry or apprehension
3 Marked anxiety interfering with concentration
4 Incapacitating anxiety
Not assessed
Anxiety: somatic (physical symptoms related to anxiety)
0 Absent
1 Mild somatic symptoms (e.g., GI upset, palpitations)
2 Moderate somatic symptoms
3 Marked somatic symptoms
4 Incapacitating somatic anxiety
Not assessed
Somatic symptoms: gastrointestinal
0 Absent
1 Loss of appetite but eating without persuasion
2 Difficulty eating; requires persuasion or medication
Not assessed
Somatic symptoms: general (energy, aches, fatigue)
0 Absent
1 Heaviness in limbs/head, backaches, fatigability
2 Marked physical weakness affecting routine tasks
Not assessed
Genital symptoms (e.g., reduced sexual interest, menstrual change)
0 Absent
1 Decreased sexual interest
2 Marked loss of sexual interest or menstrual disturbance
Not assessed
Hypochondriasis (health preoccupation)
0 Absent
1 Occasional health preoccupation
2 Frequent health concerns or bodily complaints
3 Persistent preoccupation despite reassurance
4 Delusional conviction of serious illness
Not assessed
Loss of weight
0 No weight loss
1 Probable weight loss
2 Definite weight loss (observed or reported)
Not assessed
Insight (awareness of condition)
0 Acknowledges illness and desires treatment
1 Acknowledges illness but attributes cause to external/physical factors
2 Denies being ill
Not assessed
Assessor attestation (type your full name as signature)
Date signed
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Paper art illustration depicting Hamilton Depression Rating Scale form template for mental health assessment

When to use this form

Use this clinician-friendly scale during intake, follow-ups, and treatment reviews to measure current depressive symptoms and track change week to week. It helps psychiatrists, psychologists, primary care, and care coordinators triage risk, set a baseline, and adjust care plans. For broad intake, pair it with the Mental health assessment form; for anxiety comparison or differential, add the DASS Form. During a medication check or telehealth visit, use it to document symptom change and guide next steps. If you need richer context, capture history and stressors with the Psychiatrist interview form. The result is a consistent score you can trend over time, improving decisions on therapy, medication, and follow-up frequency.

Must Ask Hamilton Depression Rating Scale Questions

  1. Over the past week, how often have you felt sad, hopeless, or tearful?

    This captures the core symptom and anchors the total score. Clear frequency and intensity wording improves reliability and reveals trends across visits.

  2. Are you having thoughts of death or suicide right now? If yes, how frequent and intense are they?

    This identifies immediate safety concerns and determines the urgency of intervention. For broader context on stressors and supports, add the Biopsychosocial assessment form.

  3. In the past week, how has your sleep been: trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early?

    Sleep disturbance indicates severity and points to the insomnia subtype. Knowing the pattern guides medication timing, sleep hygiene, and specialist referrals.

  4. How much have you been able to work, study, or enjoy activities you used to enjoy?

    Loss of interest and reduced functioning show real-world impact. It helps you set practical goals and measure response to treatment.

  5. Have you felt slowed down or unusually restless, such as moving or thinking much slower or faster than usual?

    Observable changes in speed or agitation indicate severity and can influence medication choices. They also alert you to side effects or mixed features that may need closer review.

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