The study aimed to develop short scales for detecting anxiety and depression in general medical settings, using latent trait analysis from a psychiatric interview. The scales were designed for non-psychiatrists to assess the severity of these disorders. The scales were validated against a full psychiatric interview, showing high specificity (91%) and sensitivity (86%). The anxiety scale had a sensitivity of 82% and a positive predictive value of 0.56, while the depression scale had a sensitivity of 85% and a positive predictive value of 0.85. The scales were developed to be used by general practitioners and physicians, allowing for quick assessment with minimal effort. The anxiety scale required two positive answers to the first four questions, while the depression scale required one. The scales were designed to be simple and easy to understand, with symptoms described in layman's terms. The scales were also useful in clinical settings for diagnosing psychiatric disorders and in surveys to measure the severity of psychological disturbance in groups of patients. The study also found that women with osteoarthritis had a higher rate of hysterectomy and gynaecological operations compared to other groups. The timing of hysterectomy in relation to the onset of disease was examined, and a higher relative risk was found for women with osteoarthritis. The study concluded that the scales were effective for detecting anxiety and depression in general medical settings and that further research was needed to confirm their validity in non-specialist use.The study aimed to develop short scales for detecting anxiety and depression in general medical settings, using latent trait analysis from a psychiatric interview. The scales were designed for non-psychiatrists to assess the severity of these disorders. The scales were validated against a full psychiatric interview, showing high specificity (91%) and sensitivity (86%). The anxiety scale had a sensitivity of 82% and a positive predictive value of 0.56, while the depression scale had a sensitivity of 85% and a positive predictive value of 0.85. The scales were developed to be used by general practitioners and physicians, allowing for quick assessment with minimal effort. The anxiety scale required two positive answers to the first four questions, while the depression scale required one. The scales were designed to be simple and easy to understand, with symptoms described in layman's terms. The scales were also useful in clinical settings for diagnosing psychiatric disorders and in surveys to measure the severity of psychological disturbance in groups of patients. The study also found that women with osteoarthritis had a higher rate of hysterectomy and gynaecological operations compared to other groups. The timing of hysterectomy in relation to the onset of disease was examined, and a higher relative risk was found for women with osteoarthritis. The study concluded that the scales were effective for detecting anxiety and depression in general medical settings and that further research was needed to confirm their validity in non-specialist use.