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GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7)

Self-report severity measure for generalized anxiety symptoms.

GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7)
Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge (past 2 weeks)
Not being able to stop or control worrying (past 2 weeks)
Worrying too much about different things (past 2 weeks)
Trouble relaxing (past 2 weeks)
Being so restless that it is hard to sit still (past 2 weeks)
Becoming easily annoyed or irritable (past 2 weeks)
Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen (past 2 weeks)
Result0 points

Minimal anxiety (score range 0-21).

When to use

  • Screening for and grading the severity of generalized anxiety disorder symptoms.

Formula

Sum of 7 items, each scored 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day). Range 0-21; 5/10/15 are cut-points for mild/moderate/severe.

Pearls and pitfalls

  • A cut-off of >=10 has reasonable sensitivity and specificity for generalized anxiety disorder.

References

  1. Spitzer RL, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(10):1092-7.