Normative data for the HADS from a large non-clinical sample.

OBJECTIVES To provide normative data for the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS). DESIGN Repeated measures and correlational. METHODS The HADS was administered to a non-clinical sample, broadly representative of the general adult UK population (N = 1792) in terms of the distributions of age, gender and occupational status. Correlational analysis was used to determine the influence of demographic variables on HADS scores. RESULTS Demographic variables had only very modest influences on HADS scores. The reliability of the HADS is acceptable; the Anxiety and Depression scales are moderately correlated (.53). Tables to convert raw scores to percentiles are presented for females and males. CONCLUSIONS The present normative data allow clinicians to assess the rarity of a given HADS score, and thus provide a useful supplement to existing cut-off scores.