Over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by…
1Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge
2Not being able to stop or control worrying
3Worrying too much about different things
4Trouble relaxing
5Being so restless that it's hard to sit still
6Becoming easily annoyed or irritable
7Feeling afraid, as if something awful might happen
If any of these bothered you, how difficult have they made work, home life or getting along with people?Not scored
Doesn't change your score, but doctors use it to judge how much anxiety affects daily life.
What generalised anxiety is, in short
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is excessive, hard-to-control worry about many different things, present on more days than not for at least six months, along with symptoms such as restlessness, tiredness, poor concentration, irritability, muscle tension or poor sleep.
Everyone worries. What marks GAD out is that the worry is out of proportion, moves from topic to topic, and gets in the way of daily life. The GAD-7 asks only about the last two weeks, so it measures how much anxiety you have now, not whether you meet that six-month definition.
By What's Your IQ · Reviewed 4 Oct 2026- Questionnaire
- GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale)
- Published
- 2006, Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams & Löwe; free to use
- Time frame
- The last 2 weeks
- Score range
- 0–21; 5, 10 and 15 mark mild, moderate and severe
- Worldwide
- About 301 million people had an anxiety disorder in 2019
Anxiety, explained
THE ANXIETY CYCLEWhy avoiding it makes it strongerAvoidance brings quick relief, so the brain learns the threat was real and raises the alarm sooner next time. Most effective treatments work by breaking this loop.
KINDS OF ANXIETY
TYPEWHAT IT LOOKS LIKECHECKED BYGeneralised anxietyPersistent, hard-to-control worry about many everyday thingsGAD-7 (this test)Panic disorderSudden surges of intense fear with physical symptoms, and fear of the next attackDoctor assessmentSocial anxietyFear of being judged or embarrassed in social situationsSPIN screenerSpecific phobiaIntense fear of one thing, such as flying, heights or needlesDoctor assessmentHealth anxietyPersistent worry about having or developing a serious illnessDoctor assessment
EVERYDAY WORRY
AN ANXIETY DISORDER
WHAT HELPS
WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE
Every cut-off trades misses for false alarms
Move the line. A lower cut-off catches more people who have GAD but also flags more who don't. Figures for 10 come from the original study; the rest are approximate values read from its published curve, so treat them as a guide.
People WITH GAD flagged89%Out of 20 people with GAD, 2 would be missed.
People WITHOUT GAD cleared82%Out of 20 people without GAD, 4 would get a false alarm.
AT 10+The standard cut-off from the original study, and the one most guidelines quote. A score here means: see a doctor for a proper assessment.
1 in 4people who need anxiety treatment get anyAbout 27.6% of people with an anxiety disorder receive treatment, despite effective options, according to the World Health Organization.2
2006 · n=2,740The original study. Built and tested in 15 US primary-care clinics. Cut-off 10: 89% sensitivity, 82% specificity for GAD. Scores rose in step with disability and lost work days.1
2007 · n=965Beyond GAD. The same seven questions also picked up panic disorder, social anxiety and PTSD reasonably well, and the first two alone (the GAD-2) worked as a quick first check.3
2008 · n=5,030The general population. In a German community sample, most people scored low, women scored slightly higher than men, and the scale held up the same way across groups.4
2016 · metaPooling the studies. A meta-analysis found acceptable accuracy for GAD at cut-offs from about 7 to 10, with 8 giving the best balance in pooled data.5
- Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B. W., & Löwe, B. (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: The GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(10), 1092–1097.
- World Health Organization. (2023). Anxiety disorders [Fact sheet].
- Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., Williams, J. B. W., Monahan, P. O., & Löwe, B. (2007). Anxiety disorders in primary care: Prevalence, impairment, comorbidity, and detection. Annals of Internal Medicine, 146(5), 317–325.
- Löwe, B., Decker, O., Müller, S., Brähler, E., Schellberg, D., Herzog, W., & Herzberg, P. Y. (2008). Validation and standardization of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7) in the general population. Medical Care, 46(3), 266–274.
- Plummer, F., Manea, L., Trepel, D., & McMillan, D. (2016). Screening for anxiety disorders with the GAD-7 and GAD-2: A systematic review and diagnostic metaanalysis. General Hospital Psychiatry, 39, 24–31.