This brief self-report screening measure is commonly used to identify symptoms of anxiety and depression in medical settings. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is designed to support initial detection of clinically relevant emotional distress while minimizing confounding by somatic complaints.
The instrument includes 14 items and typically takes about 3 minutes to complete. It yields separate subscale scores for anxiety and depression to inform clinical triage, differential consideration, and decisions about further evaluation or monitoring. The measure was developed by R. P. Snaith and A. S. Zigmond, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is often administered in outpatient, inpatient, and rehabilitation contexts as an adjunct to clinical interview rather than a standalone diagnostic tool.