Mood and anxiety in the medically ill

Abstract

In this review on rating scales for anxiety and depression, only instruments considered to be quantifiable, analogue to the measurement of hypertension in the medical setting, have been selected. The clinimetric method for validating these rating scales is the item response theory model in which the individual items are rank ordered on the dimensions of anxiety or depression, resulting in their total score being a sufficient statistic. The measurement of anxiety and mood on their respective dimensions of severity implies that we can speak of primary and secondary anxiety or depression in the same way as we speak about primary hypertension (without a medical explanation) and secondary hypertension (when caused be various medical conditions). Both clinician-rated scales and patient-rated questionnaires are discussed. The Clinical Interview for Depression and Related Syndromes (CIDRS) is included in the appendix as this CIDRS covers many of the rating scales measuring mood and anxiety.