The PMHNP has just diagnosed a 28-year-old woman with generalized anxiety disorder and prescribed the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram (Lexapro). Which of the following tools will he administer to measure the client’s response to the medication over time?

Choice A reason: The PHQ-9 is a tool used primarily to assess depressive symptoms and is not designed to track anxiety severity or response to anti-anxiety medications. Choice B reason: The BPRS evaluates psychotic and general psychiatric symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and affective disturbances. It is not specific to anxiety measurement. Choice C reason: The STAI measures state and trait anxiety but is less commonly used in clinical practice to track response to pharmacologic treatment in generalized anxiety disorder compared to the HAM-A, which is a standard tool. Choice D reason: The HAM-A is a clinician-rated scale that assesses the severity of anxiety symptoms over time. It is widely used to monitor treatment response in generalized anxiety disorder, making it the most appropriate tool in this context.