title: Choice of rating form for evaluating anxiolytics.
abstract: The HAM-A has been a popular tool for assessing the anxiety status of patients. However, when studying anxiolytics, HAM-A presents problems. It includes 89 signs and symptoms grouped under 14 major items. Redundant symptoms appear in several items, and different symptoms under the same item may have variable severity, resulting in inconsistent ratings. In addition, evaluation of all 89 symptoms is time consuming and cumbersome, especially when frequent ratings are required in studying patient response to pharmacotherapy. The WARS was specifically designed to quantify symptoms of anxiety for the study of anxiolytics. It contains 12 one-word items, expressing all the relevant and commonly occurring psychic and somatic symptomatology relevant to anxiety. Symptomatology due to medication is rated separately on a side-effect scale. The WARS is thus more sensitive in detecting therapeutic changes. Because of its simplicity and lack of ambiguity, the WARS can be accurately and effortlessly completed in studying anxiolytics.
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kochar
mesh_terms: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents