A 23-year-old woman presents to the PMHNP with a chief complaint of "nervous tension." After a full evaluation and the administration of the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A), the PMHNP diagnoses her with generalized anxiety disorder. He plans to use today's HAM-A score as a baseline and then readminister the scale at every follow-up appointment to monitor treatment. Her score today is 20. What does this score indicate?

Choice A reason: Mild anxiety on the HAM-A scale typically corresponds to a score between 14–17. A score of 20 exceeds this range, indicating a higher severity level. Choice B reason: Minimal anxiety corresponds to scores less than 14. Since her score is 20, it is above the threshold for minimal anxiety. Choice C reason: This is the correct answer. Scores between 18–24 on the HAM-A indicate moderate anxiety. The patient’s score of 20 falls within this range, suggesting she is experiencing a clinically significant level of anxiety requiring intervention. Choice D reason: Severe anxiety corresponds to HAM-A scores above 25. The patient’s score of 20 does not meet the threshold for severe anxiety.