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Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) Test

Understand anxiety and depression symptoms and their severity in about 3 minutes. 14 targeted items separate the two, helping clinicians quickly spot who may need extra support.

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Questions: 143 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

15,729 views

2,063 completions

1,644 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

4/15

Anxiety (A)

Assesses the severity of anxiety symptoms over the past week.

Normal range

Borderline

Pronounced anxiety

0 – 7: Normal range | 8 – 10: Borderline | 11 – 15: Pronounced anxiety

A score of 4 falls in the normal range, suggesting no clinically significant anxiety symptoms on this scale.

example score

9/21

Depression (D)

Assesses the severity of depressive symptoms over the past week.

Normal

Borderline

Elevated

0 – 7: Normal | 8 – 10: Borderline | 11 – 21: Elevated

A score of 9 falls in the borderline range, indicating mild depressive symptoms that may be clinically relevant.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Outpatient clinic patients

46%OF USERS

People coming to a routine medical appointment who want to quickly check whether their anxiety or low mood needs extra attention.

Rehab and recovery clients

32%OF USERS

Patients in rehabilitation, including those with motor limitations, who need a fast, simple screening of emotional wellbeing during recovery.

People under ongoing stress

22%OF USERS

Individuals facing prolonged stress or burnout who want a brief self-check to separate anxious feelings from depressive symptoms.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale are translated into plain, usable insights. You won’t just get numbers — you’ll learn how your results impact your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how your results compare to others. Anonymized platform data is used to create a percentile scale, which identifies whether your results are typical.

Practical
Recommendations

You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Powered
Insights

Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.

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Clarify, reflect, and explore your results right away. Talk through your experience, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue.

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Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Anxiety (A)

Average

Normal range

5.5 — 10.6

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Depression (D)

Average

9.5

Normal range

6.2 — 12.9

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It screens for symptoms of anxiety and depression and estimates their severity. It is intended for rapid identification of concerns that may need follow-up.

How long does it take and how many items are included?

It takes about 3 minutes to complete. It includes 14 items.

How are anxiety and depressive symptoms separated in scoring?

Seven items contribute to an anxiety score and seven items contribute to a depression score. Separate scores help reduce overlap between symptom groups.

Who can complete this questionnaire and how is it administered?

It can be self-completed or completed with minimal assistance. It is suitable for outpatient and rehabilitation settings.

How should the results be interpreted and used?

Scores indicate the likelihood and severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms and may support decisions about further assessment. Results do not provide a standalone diagnosis.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

depression anxiety disorder

This brief self-report measure is used to screen for symptoms of anxiety and depression in medical and outpatient settings. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) provides separate indices intended to help differentiate anxious from depressive symptom presentation.

It includes 14 items and typically takes about 3 minutes to complete, either independently or with minimal assistance. Item content focuses on current emotional symptoms rather than somatic complaints that may be confounded by physical illness.

Originally developed by A. S. Zigmond and R. P. Snaith, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is commonly used to support triage, monitoring, and referral decisions and should be interpreted within the broader clinical context rather than as a standalone diagnosis.

Author: A. S. Zigmond, R. P. Snaith

Literature: Streiner, D. L., Norman, G. R., & Cairney, J. Health measurement scales: A practical guide to their development and use. Oxford University Press. 2015.; Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Brown, G. K. Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Psychological Corporation. 1996.; Bjelland, I., Dahl, A. A., Haug, T. T., & Neckelmann, D. The validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale: An updated literature review. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2002.; Zigmond, A. S., & Snaith, R. P. The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. 1983.

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