HAM-D
Medical abbreviation · Mental Health & Psychiatry
| Stands for | Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
HAM-D stands for Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, a mental health & psychiatry abbreviation.
Clinician-administered scale rating the severity of depression, most commonly in a 17-item version, used for decades as the standard outcome measure in antidepressant trials. Higher scores indicate more severe symptoms.
Example: HAM-D-17 fell from 24 to 9 after 6 ECT sessions, meeting response criteria.
Usage notes
Developed by Max Hamilton in 1960. Also abbreviated HDRS or HRSD. Critics note it weights sleep and somatic symptoms heavily, and the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) is a common alternative. A 50 percent drop in score is a typical definition of treatment response.
Related abbreviations
More mental health & psychiatry abbreviations
- ERP – Exposure and response prevention
- EUPD – Emotionally unstable personality disorder
- GAD – Generalized anxiety disorder
- GAD-7 – Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale
- GAF – Global Assessment of Functioning
- GD – Gender dysphoria
- HI – Homicidal ideation
- ID – Intellectual disability
- IED – Intermittent explosive disorder
- IOP – Intensive outpatient program
- IPT – Interpersonal psychotherapy
- IVC – Involuntary commitment
See all 100 mental health & psychiatry abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.