What is the GAD-7?
The GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) was developed by Drs. Robert Spitzer, Kurt Kroenke, Janet Williams and Bernd Löwe. Its 7 questions measure anxiety symptoms over the past two weeks, and it's one of the most widely used anxiety screening tools — also for tracking progress during treatment.
Each question is scored by how often the problem happened over the past two weeks: not at all 0, several days 1, more than half the days 2, nearly every day 3. The 7 answers add up to a total from 0 to 21. Higher scores mean more symptoms.
What your score means
| Score | Severity |
|---|---|
| 0–4 | Minimal |
| 5–9 | Mild |
| 10–14 | Moderate |
| 15–21 | Severe |
With a cut-off of 10, the GAD-7 detects generalized anxiety disorder with about 89% sensitivity and 82% specificity (Spitzer et al., 2006).
FAQ
Does the GAD-7 only detect generalized anxiety?
It was designed for generalized anxiety disorder, but studies show it also picks up panic disorder, social anxiety and PTSD reasonably well. Which one applies is for a clinician to assess.
Does a high score mean I have an anxiety disorder?
Not necessarily. Exams, job changes, physical illness or too much caffeine can all raise your score. A high score means it's worth a closer look; only a clinician can diagnose.
Are my answers saved or uploaded?
No. Scoring happens entirely in your browser. Your answers are never sent to a server or saved on this site — closing or refreshing the page clears them.
Should I check for depression too?
Yes. Anxiety and depression often go together. After the GAD-7 you can take the PHQ-9 depression test — both take only three or four minutes.
References
- Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JBW, Löwe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(10):1092-1097.
The GAD-7 was developed by Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke and colleagues, with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc. No permission is required to reproduce, translate, display or distribute it.