Clinical Anger Scale

What is the Clinical Anger Scale?

The Clinical Anger Scale is a 1995 self-report measurement questionnaire created by Snell, Moseley, and Hite. It has 21 objective statements about one's feelings toward different things, situations, or circumstances.

Clients will be asked to rate their behavior, determine how invasive persistent angry feelings are to various aspects of their lives, and identify how much and which makes them feel angry. Though the questionnaire is not meant to be used as the sole basis of clinical anger diagnosis, it can still be used as one of the resources or tools for diagnosis and treatment.

Obtaining useful information from the Clinical Anger Scale requires the practitioner to provide a copy to the patient and get a final score to be interpreted.

Here's a quick 101 on how to score and obtain a final score for this anger test:

• The letters represent a 4-point Likert scale, with each letter assigned a value: A is zero, B is one, C is two, and D is 3.
• You must add up the values depending on the patient's answer.
• The final score is the sum of the obtained values.

Interpretation, on the other hand, is as follows:

• 0 - 13 = Minimal clinical anger
• 14 - 19 = Mild clinical anger
• 20 - 28 = Moderate clinical anger
• 29 - 63 = Severe clinical anger

How to use the Clinical Anger Scale

Anger is a normal human emotion. However, feelings of anger occasionally undermine one's ability to make rational choices. When people feel intense anger, it can lead to poor mental health, making life totally miserable. To help clients manage anger issues through this scale, follow these steps:

Step 1: Download the scale

Access and download our printable Clinical Anger Scale PDF template.

Step 2: Explain the questionnaire

Though instructions are provided on the template, it's best to explain how to answer the questionnaire to the client. In addition, you may stay within the vicinity of the patient just in case they have any questions or need clarification. 

Step 3: Answer the questionnaire

Once they understand how to answer the questionnaire, provide them with a copy. Don't forget to request their honesty and assure them they can take as long as needed. 

Step 4: Compute the score and interpret

After they're done with their part, it's time for you to compute and interpret the score. For a guide on how to do both, refer to the first section: "What is a Clinical Anger Scale?"

Step 5: Proceed with the next steps

If their score signifies mild to severe clinical anger, we recommend that you talk to your client about the next steps, such as therapy or anger management sessions. 

When would you use this Clinical Anger Scale?

Practitioners with clients who show symptoms of clinical anger can use this Clinical Anger Scale template to: 

• Understand their clients better
• Formulate a treatment plan 
• Track the progress of the patient 
• See the effectiveness of a particular treatment based on the client's response
• Identify individuals whose anger is bordering on clinical or those who are at risk of developing this disorder in various settings like schools, prisons, and mental facilities.

Remind your clients that anger management requires time and is not overnight work. This scale is the first step, especially for those who are constantly angry.

What are the benefits of using this Clinical Anger Scale?

Here are the benefits of incorporating this into your practice:

Help you know more about the client

With the free template, practitioners can learn more about the patient and the roots and causes of their anger. Furthermore, they'll know how severe the disorder's symptoms are so they may intervene immediately. 

Tracks progress

If the patient is already in the middle of their treatment plan, the scale can be used as a basis and a document to see the effectiveness of the treatment through, hopefully, their progress. 

Demonstrates high validity and reliability

According to Snell et al. (1995), the scale is valid and reliable because it "demonstrated adequate internal consistency and test-retest stability."

References

Snell, W. E., Jr, Gum, S., Shuck, R. L., Mosley, J. A., & Hite, T. L. (1995). The Clinical Anger Scale: preliminary reliability and validity. Journal of clinical psychology, 51(2), 215–226. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-4679(199503)51:2<215::aid-jclp2270510211>3.0.co;2-z