Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screening Tool: Assessing Your Anxiety

The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) is a widely used screening tool for assessing the severity of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a common anxiety disorder characterized by excessive worry and anxiety about various aspects of life. The GAD-7 is a self-report questionnaire that helps individuals and healthcare professionals evaluate the presence and severity of GAD symptoms.

The GAD-7 consists of seven questions, each with response options on a scale from 0 to 3, where 0 represents "not at all" and 3 represents "nearly every day." The individual's responses are totaled to calculate a score, with a higher score indicating a higher likelihood of GAD. Here are the questions included in the GAD-7:

1. Over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by excessive worry about various things?

   • Not at all (0)
   • Several days (1)
   • More than half the days (2)
   • Nearly every day (3)

2. Over the last two weeks, how often have you found it difficult to stop worrying?

   • Not at all (0)
   • Several days (1)
   • More than half the days (2)
   • Nearly every day (3)

3. Over the last two weeks, how often have you experienced restlessness, being on edge, or feeling easily fatigued?

   • Not at all (0)
   • Several days (1)
   • More than half the days (2)
   • Nearly every day (3)

4. Over the last two weeks, how often have you had difficulty concentrating or had your mind go blank?

   • Not at all (0)
   • Several days (1)
   • More than half the days (2)
   • Nearly every day (3)

5. Over the last two weeks, how often have you been irritable?

   • Not at all (0)
   • Several days (1)
   • More than half the days (2)
   • Nearly every day (3)

6. Over the last two weeks, how often have you experienced muscle tension (e.g., tightness in your neck, shoulder, or back)?

   • Not at all (0)
   • Several days (1)
   • More than half the days (2)
   • Nearly every day (3)

7. Over the last two weeks, how often have you had trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or having restful sleep?

   • Not at all (0)
   • Several days (1)
   • More than half the days (2)
   • Nearly every day (3)

After completing the questionnaire, the scores from each question are added together to calculate a total score. The total score can range from 0 to 21, with the following general interpretation:

• 0-4: Minimal or no anxiety symptoms.
• 5-9: Mild anxiety symptoms.
• 10-14: Moderate anxiety symptoms.
• 15-21: Severe anxiety symptoms.

A higher score on the GAD-7 indicates a greater likelihood of generalized anxiety disorder or higher anxiety severity. If you or someone you know scores in the moderate to severe range, it is advisable to seek professional help from a mental health provider for a more comprehensive assessment and appropriate treatment options. The GAD-7 is just one tool to help identify potential anxiety symptoms and is not a definitive diagnosis.