Hopkins Symptom Checklist – HSCL-58
A self-report symptom inventory measuring symptoms of anxiety, depression, somatization, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, and interpersonal sensitivity.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Hopkins Symptom Checklist – HSCL-58 was developed by Derogatis, L. R., Lipman, R. S., Rickels, K., Uhlenhuth, E. H., & Covi, L. (1974). It is designed to measure Psychological Distress. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 58 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Somatization, Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Depression.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Somatization | 1,4,12,13,16,17,19,25,27,39,40,42,43,48,49,52,53,56,58 | 19 |
| Anxiety | 2,7,18,23,31,33,44,50,57 | 9 |
| Obsessive-Compulsive | 3,9,10,28,38,45,46,51,55 | 9 |
| Interpersonal Sensitivity | 6,8,11,21,24,34,35,36,37,41,47 | 11 |
| Depression | 5,14,15,20,22,26,29,30,32,54 | 10 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not at all, 2 = A little, 3 = Quite a bit, 4 = Extremely.
Scoring
Item scores are averaged to produce a mean score.
Total scores range from 1 to 4. Interpretation guidelines:
- Below clinical threshold: 1 – 1
- Clinically significant distress: 1 – 4
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.84 – 0.87.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.