For what purpose is the Hamilton Anxiety Scale used?

The Hamilton Anxiety Scale is specifically developed to assess the severity of anxiety symptoms in individuals. It provides a comprehensive evaluation of various anxiety-related issues, allowing healthcare providers to quantify the level of anxiety being experienced by the patient. This scale includes various items that measure physical and psychological manifestations of anxiety, such as tension, fears, insomnia, somatic complaints, and more.

By using this scale, practitioners can not only identify the presence of anxiety symptoms but also track changes in symptom severity over time, which is particularly helpful in both initial evaluations and follow-up assessments to measure the effectiveness of treatment interventions. While other options relate to important aspects of mental health assessment, they do not align with the primary purpose of the Hamilton Anxiety Scale.