A Hope scale is described, applicable to the content analysis of verbal samples. Percentile Hope scores are provided from a normative sample of children (109), adults (91), and a group of psychiatric outpatients (68).

Construct validation studies indicated significant negative correlations between Hope scores and psychiatric ratings from the BPRS Depression and Anergia factor scores, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale factors of Anxiety-Depression and Sleep Disturbance and, also, with scores from the Jacobs Ego Weakness Scale. Significant positive correlations occurred with scores from the Anant Belongingness Scale.

Hope scores were found capable of predicting favorable outcome among patients in a Mental Health Crisis Clinic, survival time in patients with terminal cancer, patients likely to follow treatment recommendations, and improvement in the BPRS Depression factor in acute schizophrenic patients after a single dose of thioridazine.