When you find yourself in a hospital, it's not just your physical health that matters. Many patients face anxiety and depression during their stay. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is a simple yet effective tool that helps healthcare professionals identify these feelings.

What is HADS?

HADS is a self-assessment questionnaire designed to measure anxiety and depression levels in patients. It consists of 14 questions, divided into two subscales:

• Anxiety: 7 questions
• Depression: 7 questions

Each question is scored from 0 to 3, allowing for a maximum score of 21 for each subscale. Higher scores indicate more severe symptoms.

Why Use HADS?

• Quick and Easy: Patients can complete it in about 10 minutes.
• Sensitive Indicators: Helps in recognizing emotional distress that may not be visible.
• Non-Invasive: Patients can fill it out privately, promoting honesty in their responses.

Steps to Complete HADS

1. Find a Quiet Space: Choose a comfortable spot to focus on the questions.
2. Read Each Question Carefully: Take your time to think about how you have been feeling.
3. Select Your Answer: Mark the response that best reflects your feelings over the past week.
4. Total Your Score: Add up your scores for anxiety and depression separately.
5. Discuss with Your Healthcare Provider: Share the results to get appropriate support.

Interpretation of Scores

• 0-7: Normal
• 8-10: Mild anxiety or depression
• 11-14: Moderate anxiety or depression
• 15-21: Severe anxiety or depression

Real-Life Example

Consider Jane, a patient recovering from surgery. She feels anxious about her recovery and the possibility of complications. After completing HADS, her scores indicate moderate anxiety. With this information, her healthcare team can provide resources, such as counseling or relaxation techniques, to help Jane cope better.

Comparison with Other Tools

While HADS is widely used, there are other assessments like:

• Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI): Focuses more on anxiety symptoms.
• Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9): Mainly assesses depression.

HADS is unique because it combines both anxiety and depression in one tool, making it particularly useful in hospital settings.

Conclusion

The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale plays a crucial role in patient care. By identifying emotional distress, healthcare providers can offer the necessary support to enhance the overall healing process.