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Ellen et al,
Box 3

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A screening test for anxiety and depression22

Anxiety scale

    Score one point for each "Yes".

  1. Have you felt keyed up, on edge?
  2. Have you been worrying a lot?
  3. Have you been irritable?
  4. Have you had any difficulty relaxing?

    If "Yes" to two of the above, go on to ask:

  5. Have you been sleeping poorly?
  6. Have you had headaches or neck aches?
  7. Have you had any of the following: trembling, tingling, dizzy spells, sweating, urinary frequency, diarrhoea?
  8. Have you been worried about your health?
  9. Have you had difficulty falling asleep?
Depression scale

    Score one point for each "Yes".

  1. Have you had low energy?
  2. Have you had loss of interests?
  3. Have you lost confidence in yourself?
  4. Have you felt hopeless?

    If "Yes" to ANY question, go on to ask:

  5. Have you had difficulty concentrating?
  6. Have you lost weight (due to poor appetite)?
  7. Have you been waking early?
  8. Have you felt slowed up?
  9. Have you tended to feel worse in the morning?
Interpretation

Add anxiety score, add depression score. Patients with anxiety scores of five, or depression scores of two have a 50% chance of having clinically important disturbance; above these scores the probability of illness rises sharply.

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