Zung Self-Rating Scale for Anxiety
The Zung Self-Rating Scale for Anxiety was developed by William WK Zung, a doctor at the Duke University. This test is made up of 20 questions that each get a numerical scoring ranging from 1 to 4. Each of the questions is in regard to different symptoms of anxiety. Some of the questions on the scale will have a large number used if the symptoms are the worst while other questions will reverse so the least symptoms have the large number.
The questions deal with how an individual deals with or experiences certain feelings. The numbers 1 to 4 represent the frequency the individual feels and emotion or physical sensation such as “all the time”, “sometimes”, “almost never” or “frequently”.
The Zung Self-Rating Scale for Anxiety is recognized and respected by medical professionals worldwide including regular physicians as well as psychologists. The test is often taken by individuals in the comfort of their home although it is recommended that they get a licensed doctor to help interpret the results. If you are experiencing feelings of anxiety, it’s important to discuss it with your doctor so they can recommend the proper care and treatment.
A major benefit of the Zung Self-Rating Scale for Anxiety is to help the doctor determine if it is actually anxiety the patient is experiencing and not depression, as the treatment is different for these two disorders.
Unlike many other anxiety or depression scales, the Zung Self-Rating Scale for Anxiety is not to be used for children or teenagers because their lives are filled with normal anxiety due to the many changes going on in their lives. So anxiety is perfectly normal for them, although extreme anxiety or depression in teens and children should be acknowledges and researched.
For adults, this scale is highly recommended and respected as a way to help doctors determine the severity of the anxiety experienced by the patient. It is always stressed upon the patients the importance of being completely honest when taking the test as this is the only way to ensure an accurate assessment of the patient’s anxiety.
After the 20 questions are answered, the doctor will evaluate the answered and give out a score, which will range from 20 to 80 with 20 signifying a normal amount of anxiety and 80 being an extremely high level of anxiety. Some of the feelings and sensations that are mentioned in the Zung Anxiety Scale include extremities trembling, difficulty breathing, and feelings of panic, hot or cold flashes, feeling panic or getting upset easily and other similar feelings. While the actual test only takes a few minutes to take, often determining the answer that most closely fits the patient is the most difficult.
