According to the Mayo Clinic, anxiety can be a sudden and intense fear that often makes a person feel as if he has no control. Other symptoms may include: a sense of impending doom, hyperventilation, trembling and chest pain. When symptoms persist or affect daily functioning, medical help may be indicated. To diagnose anxiety tests are not always necessary, however, there are diagnostic tools that may offer information to further aid in treating anxiety effectively.
Hamilton Anxiety Scale
The Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS) is a test of 14 categories for rating severity of anxiety experienced. Each category rates specific symptoms and based on the score ranging from zero to five, level of treatment needed may be determined. The HAS is primarily used before beginning anxiety medications and during use of medications to measure symptom improvement. According to the online source Science Direct in the Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the HAS is a valid and reliable test for determining severity of anxiety symptoms. The HAS is a general test for anxiety and does not specify sub-categories common in anxiety such as obsessive compulsive disorder or phobias. This test may be administered by a mental health provider, psychiatrist or physician. Examples of the test may also be found online.
Beck Anxiety Inventory
The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) is a 21 item inventory of symptoms related to anxiety. The symptoms listed are rated on a number scale from zero to three and the numbers correspond with experiencing symptoms not at all to being severely bothered by the symptom listed. The higher the score the more severe the anxiety is rated to be in the person taking the inventory. According to anxietydisorderhelp.com the BAI is one effective means for rating symptoms and helping the person understand how anxiety connects to physical symptoms. The BAI is also touted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a means for distinguishing the difference between symptoms of depression and those of anxiety, to further aid in treatment planning. As with the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, the Beck Anxiety Inventory does not distinguish specific types of anxiety, rather, it provides insight into the presence of anxiety.
Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale
The Liebowitz social anxiety scale (LSAS) is a specific anxiety test to measure the presence and severity of social phobia. The LSAS is a questionnaire of 24 items each consisting of a situation and rating for anxiety and avoidance of that situation. The number rating ranges from zero to three and this coincides with no fear/never avoidance to severe fear and usually avoidance for each situation listed. The higher the score, the more severe the social phobia experienced. According to the online Cambridge Journals the study titled 'Psychometric properties of the Liebowitz social anxiety scale', the test is concluded as a valid and reliable measure of social phobia. This test may be self administered or done by a mental health professional.
