Dr. Aaron T. Beck created the Beck Anxiety Scale. This is a scale that is made up of multiple choice questions that an individual responds to in order to measure their level of anxiety. The self report inventory has only 21 questions, so it is short and can be taken quite quickly. The score allows doctors to see at what level a person is affected by their anxiety. The self inventory is based on the individuals feelings over the last week based on common anxiety symptoms. There are four potential answers for each of the 21 questions and the individual simply crosses the answer that best fits his feelings. The answers for the questions consist of the following not at all, mildly, moderately, or severely. The maximum score on the self inventory is 63, which means severe anxiety. Any score from 26-63 is considered severe. Individuals who score from 16-25 are considered to have moderate anxiety while mild anxiety is 8-15. Individuals who take the self inventory and score from 0-7 have only a minimal anxiety level. An interesting point is that women who have an anxiety disorder will usually score several points higher than men that have the same disorder.
This scale works well for clinical use, especially with older patients and adolescents. There are two other scales that are more popular than this one. They include the Fear Survey Schedule and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Due to research, it has been determined that this scale works best for panic symptomatology assessment.
Also, if you believe you are suffering from anxiety symptoms you should make an appointment with your healthcare provider. You may find the Beck Anxiety Scale and take it and score it yourself. However, it is best to take this scale where a physician can review your results and assist you with treatment.
Don’t let anxiety take over your life. Instead, seek out medical care so that you can learn how to get your stress and ultimately anxiety in check. You will benefit from control of your anxiety in all areas of your life so don’t delay in seeking out treatment.