What the GAD-7 is
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale is a seven-item screener developed by Drs. Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams, and Löwe with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc., and validated in primary care. It was designed for generalized anxiety disorder and also performs reasonably as a screen for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. It's short, free, and in the public domain.
The GAD-7 items
A score is information, not a diagnosis. It estimates symptom severity and points toward whether a fuller evaluation is worth having.
Over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems? Each item is rated on the same four-point scale: 0 (Not at all), 1 (Several days), 2 (More than half the days), 3 (Nearly every day).
If you'd rather read the items as a reference table, the same seven items are listed below. This table prints cleanly for use on paper.
| # | Item | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge | Not at all | Several days | More than half the days | Nearly every day |
| 2 | Not being able to stop or control worrying | Not at all | Several days | More than half the days | Nearly every day |
| 3 | Worrying too much about different things | Not at all | Several days | More than half the days | Nearly every day |
| 4 | Trouble relaxing | Not at all | Several days | More than half the days | Nearly every day |
| 5 | Being so restless that it's hard to sit still | Not at all | Several days | More than half the days | Nearly every day |
| 6 | Becoming easily annoyed or irritable | Not at all | Several days | More than half the days | Nearly every day |
| 7 | Feeling afraid, as if something awful might happen | Not at all | Several days | More than half the days | Nearly every day |
How it's scored
Each of the seven items is scored from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day) over the past two weeks. The total ranges from 0 to 21.
| Score | Severity |
|---|---|
| 0 to 4 | Minimal |
| 5 to 9 | Mild |
| 10 to 14 | Moderate |
| 15 to 21 | Severe |
A score of 10 or higher is the common cut-point for further evaluation for generalized anxiety disorder. The GAD-7 doesn't separate one anxiety condition from another on its own, so a clinician uses it alongside the history and, when needed, other tools.
What your score does and doesn't mean
What a score does mean. It's a snapshot of how heavy your anxiety symptoms have been over the last two weeks, on a scale clinicians recognize. It gives you and a clinician a shared starting number, and it's useful to repeat over time to see whether symptoms are improving or worsening.
What a score doesn't mean. It isn't a diagnosis. It can't tell you why you feel the way you do, and it doesn't account for what's happening in your life, your physical health, or other conditions that can look like anxiety. A low score doesn't rule anxiety out, and a high score isn't a label you have to carry. Only a licensed clinician can diagnose, using a full evaluation.
A printable GAD-7
To keep a paper copy or bring one to an appointment, use the Print this page button near the top, or your browser's print function (Ctrl or Cmd plus P). The reference table above lists all seven items and the four response options so the instrument can be completed and scored on paper.
When to bring a GAD-7 score to a clinician
Any score of 10 or higher is a reason to talk to a clinician. A score that's rising over weeks, even at a lower number, is a reason to act earlier rather than later. Anxiety that comes with low mood, loss of interest, or thoughts of self-harm is a reason to be evaluated for depression as well.
About this interactive GAD-7
The form above is a convenience for readers who want to walk through the seven items themselves. It runs entirely in your browser. Your answers aren't stored, not sent to any server, and not shared with anyone, including the publisher of this site. Refreshing or closing the page clears the form. The GAD-7 is freely available from many sources. The instrument is in the public domain.
GAD-7 credit: developed by Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Kurt Kroenke, Janet B.W. Williams, and Bernd Löwe with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc.
Sources
- Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JBW, Löwe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006.
- Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JBW, Monahan PO, Löwe B. Anxiety disorders in primary care: prevalence, impairment, comorbidity, and detection. Ann Intern Med. 2007.
For anxiety-specific guidance, see our sister publication AnxietyResource.org, which is edited by the same physician reviewer and published by shrinkMD Publishing, LLC.
Reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA. Last reviewed March 15, 2026.