Psychiatry

GAD-7 Calculator

The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale is a validated tool for screening and tracking the severity of anxiety symptoms.

1. Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge

2. Not being able to stop or control worrying

3. Worrying too much about different things

4. Trouble relaxing

5. Being so restless that it's hard to sit still

6. Becoming easily annoyed or irritable

7. Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen

What is the GAD-7?

The GAD-7 is a 7-item self-report scale developed by Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams, and Lowe to screen for and measure the severity of generalized anxiety disorder. Each item is scored 0-3 based on frequency over the past two weeks.

Interpretation

Score	Severity
0-4	Minimal
5-9	Mild
10-14	Moderate
15-21	Severe

Used alongside PHQ-9

GAD-7 and the PHQ-9 are frequently administered together, since anxiety and depression commonly co-occur and each tool captures a distinct symptom domain.

References

Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB, Lowe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does GAD-7 diagnose anxiety disorder?

No — it's a screening and severity-tracking tool, not a diagnostic instrument on its own.

Can GAD-7 and PHQ-9 be used together?

Yes — they're commonly used together since anxiety and depression frequently co-occur, and each captures a different symptom domain.

How is GAD-7 used for monitoring?

It's repeated at follow-up visits using the same two-week recall window, so scores can be compared over time to track treatment response.