Catatonia, agitation and aggression
Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS) — NIH FITBIR multiple-response form
Professional instrument reference.
Reference information · Questionnaire
- Last content update
- 2026-10-26
- Clinical review
- Not independently reviewed
- Source jurisdiction
- See individual sources
- Coverage
- Questionnaire
| Field | Instrument context |
|---|---|
| Version | NIH FITBIR MOAS v1.0 (2016); multiple responses, summed anchors, weighted total0–100 |
| Population | Adult and pediatric clinical assessment; interpret in the applicable clinical context |
| Respondent | Clinician or trained observer |
| Recall period | Past week |
Assessment tool
Rate aggressive behavior over the past week. Select all applicable descriptions within each category. Select the zero response only when none of that category’s aggressive behaviors occurred. Complete all four categories, including explicit zero responses when appropriate. Add the selected numeric anchors within each category, multiply the category sums by weights1,2,3,4 respectively, and add the weighted sums. This is the NIH FITBIR multiple-response edition with a possible weighted sum0–100; record this edition whenever comparing results over time.
Responses stay in this page’s memory. Reset or leave the page to clear them. No patient identifiers are collected.
Interpretation & limitations
- The four category sums range0–10 before weighting. Weights are verbal1, property2, autoaggression3 and physical4.
- The weighted sum describes observed aggression in this selected edition. It is not a probability of future violence and has no universal severity cutoffs here.
- Review each selected behavior and current clinical concerns. A low or zero sum does not establish safety.
References · 7
- NIH FITBIR MOAS v1.0 form structure and uncopyrighted-form statement · NIH FITBIR identifies this exact MOAS form as a form that has not been copyrighted. The website uses its exact CDE prompts and anchors; external clinical-form layout is not reproduced.
- NIH FITBIR exact multiple-response anchors: Verbal Aggression
- NIH FITBIR exact multiple-response anchors: Aggression against Property
- NIH FITBIR exact multiple-response anchors: Autoaggression
- NIH FITBIR exact multiple-response anchors: Physical Aggression
- NIH FITBIR total weighted sum instructions and explicit maximum100
- Clinical form corroborating select-all and sum-within-category administration; visually inspected, layout not reproduced