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GAD-7 Anxiety Test
The GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) is a seven-question screen for anxiety that asks how often you have been bothered by worry and related symptoms over the past two weeks. It is widely used in primary care and mental health practices.
It takes about two minutes. You can use it to get a clearer picture of your own anxiety, and clinicians use it to screen and monitor progress. Everything is scored in your browser. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.
Before you start: this is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. Whatever number you get, it belongs in a conversation with a professional who knows you.
Completely private: everything runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent or stored anywhere.
Clear everything you’ve answered?
Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems?
Your score
One of your answers matters on its own, whatever the total: the question about thoughts of death or of hurting yourself. The support lines above are for you, and it’s worth mentioning that answer specifically to whoever you share this with.
A score is a snapshot, not a verdict on you. Whatever the number, the most useful next step is the same: share it with a professional who can help you make sense of it.
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How to take the GAD-7
- Think about the past two weeks.
- Answer all seven questions by choosing how often each problem has bothered you.
- Answer the final question about how much these problems affect daily life.
- Read your total score and severity band.
- Talk with a health professional if your score is 10 or higher.
What the GAD-7 measures
The seven items cover feeling nervous or on edge, being unable to stop or control worrying, worrying too much about different things, trouble relaxing, restlessness, irritability, and feeling afraid that something awful might happen.
It was built to screen for generalized anxiety disorder, and it also picks up other anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, social anxiety, and PTSD, reasonably well. A final question about how much these problems affect daily life is asked but not scored.
How the GAD-7 is scored
Each item is rated 0 (not at all), 1 (several days), 2 (more than half the days), or 3 (nearly every day), for a total from 0 to 21.
Severity bands: 0–4 minimal, 5–9 mild, 10–14 moderate, and 15–21 severe. A score of 10 or higher is the threshold most often used to prompt further assessment.
What your score means
A higher score means anxiety symptoms have been more frequent over the past two weeks. A score of 10 or more is a good reason to talk with a health professional, who can work out what is driving the anxiety and what might help.
Some anxiety is a normal response to stress. The score is most useful as a starting point for a conversation and as a way to see whether symptoms are changing over time.
Limits of a screening test
The GAD-7 is a screen, not a diagnosis. Thyroid problems, caffeine, medications, substance use, and depression can all raise a score. It also cannot tell apart the different anxiety disorders it picks up. A qualified clinician is needed to make a diagnosis.
Using the GAD-7 in your practice
Give the GAD-7 at intake and repeat it at a regular cadence, such as every session or monthly, to support measurement-based care. A change of about 4 points is generally considered meaningful. A positive screen warrants a diagnostic interview, since the GAD-7 also responds to panic, social anxiety, and PTSD symptoms.
Document the total, severity band, functioning rating, and date. CPT 96127 is commonly used for brief standardized instruments like the GAD-7, though coverage varies by payer. Practice Harbor can send the GAD-7 through the client portal and chart scores over time.
The full guide covers cadence, documentation and billing: the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 in private practice. To give both questionnaires and download one combined report, use the PHQ-9 & GAD-7 scorer.
Common questions
How is the GAD-7 scored and what is the cutoff?
Each of the seven items is scored 0 to 3 and the ratings are added for a total of 0 to 21. Scores of 0–4 are minimal, 5–9 mild, 10–14 moderate, and 15–21 severe. A total of 10 or higher is the most common threshold for further assessment by a clinician.
Is the GAD-7 a diagnosis of anxiety?
No. The GAD-7 is a screening questionnaire that shows how often anxiety symptoms have occurred in the past two weeks. It cannot tell which anxiety disorder, if any, is present, and medical conditions or substances can raise a score. A diagnosis requires an evaluation by a qualified clinician.
Does the GAD-7 only screen for generalized anxiety disorder?
It was designed for generalized anxiety disorder, but it also picks up other anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, social anxiety, and PTSD, reasonably well. That makes it a useful general anxiety screen. A positive result should be followed by a clinical interview to work out which condition, if any, explains the symptoms.
Is the GAD-7 free to use?
Yes. The GAD-7 was developed by Drs. Robert Spitzer, Janet Williams, Kurt Kroenke, and colleagues with an educational grant from Pfizer. No permission is required to reproduce, translate, display, or distribute it, so clinicians and individuals can use it without a license fee.
How often should the GAD-7 be repeated?
The GAD-7 covers the past two weeks, so it can be repeated as often as every two weeks. In treatment, many clinicians give it every session or monthly. A change of about 4 points is generally considered meaningful, which helps separate real change from normal week-to-week variation.
What is the difference between the GAD-7 and the GAD-2?
The GAD-2 is the first two GAD-7 questions, about feeling nervous or on edge and being unable to stop worrying, scored 0 to 6. It is a quick first-pass screen. A GAD-2 score of 3 or more is positive and should be followed by the full GAD-7, which gives a severity band.
Often given alongside
This is a screening tool, not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional care. If your score worries you, or if you didn't need a questionnaire to tell you something is wrong, please talk to a professional. In the U.S., call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), around the clock.
Developed by Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke and colleagues, with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc. No permission required to reproduce, translate, display or distribute.
Are you a therapist? Practice Harbor sends the GAD-7 through the client portal, scores it automatically, and charts it over time, alongside notes, scheduling, and billing.
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