GAD-7 Anxiety Questionnaire
Over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by each of the following? Answer all seven items to see the total and its severity band.
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What the GAD-7 Measures
The GAD-7 is a seven-item questionnaire built from the diagnostic criteria for generalised anxiety disorder. Each item is scored 0 to 3 depending on how many days in the past two weeks the symptom was present, giving a total from 0 to 21. It was designed as a brief screening and severity measure, and it has become one of the most used anxiety instruments in both primary care and research.
Severity Bands and the Cut-off
- 0–4: minimal — no treatment indicated on the score alone
- 5–9: mild — reassess, address sleep, activity and stimulant intake
- 10–14: moderate — at or above the usual threshold for probable generalised anxiety disorder
- 15–21: severe — prompt assessment and active treatment
A cut-off of 10 or more gives roughly 89 % sensitivity and 82 % specificity for generalised anxiety disorder in the original validation, and the scale also performs reasonably well for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. As with the PHQ-9, the change between two administrations is often more useful than a single score.
Anxiety and Depression Travel Together
Anxiety and depression overlap heavily: roughly half of people with one have the other, and the two questionnaires are usually given together. When the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 are both elevated, treatment has to address both, and it is worth being explicit that a high anxiety score does not exclude depression. Our PHQ-9 calculator covers the depression side.
Limitations
- It is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. The diagnosis comes from a clinical interview that also covers duration, impairment and alternative explanations.
- Physical causes matter. Hyperthyroidism, arrhythmia, anaemia, alcohol withdrawal, stimulant or caffeine use can all produce an identical score.
- It focuses on generalised anxiety. Phobias, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and health anxiety are only partly captured.
- Panic attacks are not scored separately, although the instrument includes a supplementary panic module that is not part of the seven items.
- Scores can be inflated by acute stress such as bereavement, examinations or a recent crisis, which is a reason to repeat rather than act on one reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
What GAD-7 score is considered high?
10 or more is the usual threshold for probable generalised anxiety disorder, and 15 or more indicates severe symptoms. The score gives a starting point for a clinical conversation, not a conclusion.
Can the GAD-7 tell the difference between anxiety and depression?
Only partly. The scales overlap, which is why both are usually administered and why the interview matters more than either total.
Does a normal GAD-7 score mean I have no anxiety problem?
No. It means the seven generalised-anxiety symptoms were not prominent in the past two weeks. Focal anxiety problems, such as panic attacks or specific phobias, can be significant with a low score.