Which assessment tool is commonly used for evaluating the severity of depression?

The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) is a widely utilized assessment tool for evaluating the severity of depression, particularly in clinical settings where a more comprehensive evaluation of the patient's depressive symptoms is needed. This tool consists of multiple items that cover various aspects of depression, such as mood, feelings of guilt, insomnia, work and activities, psychomotor retardation, anxiety, and weight loss, among others.

The HDRS is particularly valuable because it was designed for use by trained clinicians and provides a structured way to assess the severity of a patient's depression over time, making it useful for both diagnosing and monitoring treatment response. Its scoring system allows clinicians to quantify the severity of symptoms, which can guide treatment decisions and evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions.

In contrast, while options like the Beck Depression Inventory and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) are also effective tools for assessing depression, they are typically more self-administered and may be primarily used for screening rather than detailed severity assessment by a clinician. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), on the other hand, is primarily focused on cognitive function and is not intended for evaluating depression severity, thus it would not be appropriate in this context.