Toolkit / Depression
MADRS: Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale
Ten-item clinician-rated depression scale designed to be sensitive to change with treatment. Less weighted towards sleep and somatic symptoms than the HAM-D, and widely used in antidepressant trials.
Interpreting the total
| 0–6 | Normal / symptoms absent |
| 7–19 | Mild depression |
| 20–34 | Moderate depression |
| 35–60 | Severe depression |
Notes
- This page is a score helper: the item names are given, but the published anchor descriptions are not reproduced. Rate from the original form.
- Severity bands follow Snaith et al. (1986). Other conventions exist; check which your department or trial uses.
- Remission is commonly defined as a total of 10 or less (some studies use 12 or less); response as a 50% or greater reduction from baseline.
References
- Montgomery SA, Åsberg M. A new depression scale designed to be sensitive to change. Br J Psychiatry. 1979;134:382–389.
- Snaith RP, Harrop FM, Newby DA, Teale C. Grade scores of the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression and the Clinical Anxiety Scales. Br J Psychiatry. 1986;148:599–601.
- Hawley CJ, Gale TM, Sivakumaran T. Defining remission by cut off score on the MADRS: selecting the optimal value. J Affect Disord. 2002;72(2):177–184.
Copyright status of the anchor text is unclear, so only item names and generic step labels are shown. Use the published scale (Br J Psychiatry 1979) for the anchor wording.
An educational aid for clinicians, not a substitute for clinical judgement. Scores support, but never replace, a full assessment. Your answers on this page are never stored or sent.
Spotted an error in this scale?
Interpreting the total
| 0–6 | Normal / symptoms absent |
| 7–19 | Mild depression |
| 20–34 | Moderate depression |
| 35–60 | Severe depression |
Notes
- This page is a score helper: the item names are given, but the published anchor descriptions are not reproduced. Rate from the original form.
- Severity bands follow Snaith et al. (1986). Other conventions exist; check which your department or trial uses.
- Remission is commonly defined as a total of 10 or less (some studies use 12 or less); response as a 50% or greater reduction from baseline.
References
- Montgomery SA, Åsberg M. A new depression scale designed to be sensitive to change. Br J Psychiatry. 1979;134:382–389.
- Snaith RP, Harrop FM, Newby DA, Teale C. Grade scores of the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression and the Clinical Anxiety Scales. Br J Psychiatry. 1986;148:599–601.
- Hawley CJ, Gale TM, Sivakumaran T. Defining remission by cut off score on the MADRS: selecting the optimal value. J Affect Disord. 2002;72(2):177–184.
Copyright status of the anchor text is unclear, so only item names and generic step labels are shown. Use the published scale (Br J Psychiatry 1979) for the anchor wording.
This is an educational aid for clinicians, not a substitute for clinical judgement. Scores and calculations support, but never replace, a full assessment. All entries were made by the user; the website does not verify them and accepts no responsibility for decisions based on them. Nothing entered on the website is stored or sent.
