Evidence map›Paper›PMID 20718076›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of methods in psychiatric research2010

Identifying HAM-A cutoffs for mild, moderate, and severe generalized anxiety disorder.

Louis S Matza, Robert Morlock, Chris Sexton, Karen Malley, Douglas Feltner

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in International journal of methods in psychiatric research, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 138 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
138citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

138 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  6. Effect of Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride Nasal Spray on Anxiety and Sleep in Patients Undergoing Gynecological Laparoscopic Surgery.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2026
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78 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Louis S MatzaCenter for Health Outcomes Research, United BioSource Corporation, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. louis.matza@unitedbiosource.com
Robert Morlock
Chris Sexton
Karen Malley
Douglas Feltner

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to identify and evaluate cutoffs for mild, moderate, and severe ranges of Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) scores. Data were from a four-week randomized trial of treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. Measures included the HAM-A, SF-36, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Clinical Global Impressions of Severity (CGI-S) scale. HAM-A cutoffs were identified based on literature review, expert panel input, and MANOVA models. The optimal cutoff set was evaluated based on association with clinician CGI-S ratings. The sample included 144 patients (56.3% female; 73.6% white; mean age = 35.7 years; mean baseline HAM-A score = 23.7). The optimal HAM-A score ranges were: mild anxiety = 8-14; moderate = 15-23; severe ≥ 24 (scores ≤ 7 were considered to represent no/minimal anxiety). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) models found statistically significant differences among these groups in the SF-36 and HADS. The HAM-A severity ranges closely corresponded to clinicians' CGI-S ratings. The study represents the first step towards developing severity ranges for the HAM-A. These cutoffs should be used with caution and validated in larger samples. If the proposed cutoffs are accepted for general use, they could make results more meaningful and interpretable for researchers, clinicians, and patients.

Indexed as

Psychiatric Status Rating ScalesAdolescentAdultAgedAnalysis of VarianceAnxiety DisordersDepressionFemaleHealth SurveysHumansMaleMiddle AgedPsychometricsReproducibility of ResultsSampling StudiesSeverity of Illness Index

Identifiers

PMID20718076
PMCPMC6878292

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.