GAD-7
Summary and structure
The GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) is a brief self-report questionnaire for screening generalized anxiety disorder and measuring the severity of anxiety symptoms. It was developed by Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams and Löwe (2006) and is based on the DSM-IV criteria for generalized anxiety disorder.
Each of the seven items asks how often the respondent has been bothered by a specific problem over the last two weeks, with response options ranging from “not at all” (0) to “nearly every day” (3). The total score ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating more severe anxiety.
Cut-off scores are typically interpreted as follows:
0–4 = minimal anxiety
5–9 = mild anxiety
10–14 = moderate anxiety
15–21 = severe anxiety
Although it was developed for generalized anxiety disorder, the GAD-7 also performs well as a screening tool for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Key Data
Age group: Adults (≥18 years)
Completion time: about 1–2 minutes
Languages in SwissDTx: English, German, French
Intended Use
The GAD-7 is intended for screening and monitoring anxiety in primary care, psychotherapy, psychiatry, occupational health and research. A total score of 10 or higher is the recommended threshold for further diagnostic evaluation.
Because it is short and sensitive to change, the GAD-7 is well suited to repeated measurement. This makes it valuable in blended care, where symptom change between sessions can be tracked and discussed.
Information for Practitioners
The GAD-7 is a screening and severity measure, not a diagnostic instrument. A positive result should always lead to a clinical assessment.
In SwissDTx, the total score and severity band are calculated automatically and shown as a progress curve in the Care Cockpit. A clinically relevant deterioration is flagged for the treating professional.
Authors
Robert L. Spitzer
Kurt Kroenke
Janet B.W. Williams
Bernd Löwe
Scientific References
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. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092
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. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-146-5-200703060-00004
Licence
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.