Screening check
GAD-7 anxiety screening: your score and what it means
The GAD-7 is the seven-question form many doctors use to screen for anxiety and measure how severe it is. Answer for the last two weeks. Your score is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a diagnosis.
Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems?
Nothing you choose leaves this page.
What you will see
Your GAD-7 score out of 21 and its severity range.
Educational only, not medical advice. A screening score, not a diagnosis.
Source
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), 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 it. Published by Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams and Löwe, Archives of Internal Medicine 2006.
Validated in
Validated in 2,740 primary care patients (PHQ and GAD-7 instructions).
Limits
Screens and measures severity; it does not diagnose an anxiety disorder, which needs a clinician's interview. The score only reflects the last two weeks and the answers you enter.
How the GAD-7 is scored
Each answer scores 0 for "not at all", 1 for "several days", 2 for "more than half the days" and 3 for "nearly every day". The seven scores are added for a total from 0 to 21 (PHQ instructions).
| Score | Severity |
|---|---|
| 0 to 4 | Below the mild range |
| 5 to 9 | Mild |
| 10 to 14 | Moderate |
| 15 to 21 | Severe |
Scores of 5, 10 and 15 are the cutpoints for mild, moderate and severe anxiety. When screening for anxiety disorders, a score of 10 or more is the recommended cutpoint for further evaluation (PHQ instructions).
The instructions call a score of 10 or more a "yellow flag", drawing attention to a possible clinically significant condition, and 15 or more a "red flag", where active treatment is probably warranted (PHQ instructions).
More than generalized anxiety
The GAD-7 was built to find generalized anxiety disorder (Spitzer 2006). It also works moderately well as a screen for three other common anxiety disorders: panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PHQ instructions). A high score does not tell you which one, if any, applies. That takes a clinician.
The GAD-2: the first two questions
Questions 1 and 2 on their own form the GAD-2, an ultra-brief screener scored 0 to 6. A GAD-2 score of 3 or more should prompt the full GAD-7 and a clinical interview (PHQ instructions). This page always asks all seven.
Who should be screened
The USPSTF recommends screening for anxiety disorders in adults 64 and younger, including pregnant and postpartum people (grade B). For adults 65 and older it found the evidence insufficient to judge screening (grade I) (USPSTF 2023). It found no evidence on how often to screen (USPSTF 2023).
Common questions
What is a normal GAD-7 score?
There is no "normal", but scores under 5 are below the mild range (PHQ instructions).
Can the GAD-7 diagnose anxiety?
No. It screens for anxiety and measures how severe symptoms are. A diagnosis needs a clinician's interview (PHQ instructions).
What if I also feel low or hopeless?
Anxiety and depression often overlap (USPSTF 2023). The PHQ-9 depression screening is a companion check from the same authors. If you have thoughts of hurting yourself, call or text 988 (free, confidential, 24/7) (988 Lifeline), or call 911 if you are in immediate danger.
Also see the screening tests by age, the alcohol screening (AUDIT-C), the eating disorder screening check, the child anxiety screening check and the sleep apnea risk check.
Sources
- 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. doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092
- GAD-7 (English). 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. www.phqscreeners.com/images/sites/g/files/g10060481/f/201412/GAD-7_English.pdf
- Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) Screeners. Instruction Manual: Instructions for Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) and GAD-7 Measures. Developed by Spitzer RL, Williams JBW, Kroenke K and colleagues with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc. www.phqscreeners.com/
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Anxiety Disorders in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2023;329(24):2163. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/anxiety-adults-screening
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call, text or chat 988; available 24/7, free and confidential. 988lifeline.org/
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-30. Spotted an error? See About.