Score the GAD-7 generalised anxiety disorder scale, with severity interpretation and clinician referral guidance for each score band.
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Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems?
1. Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge
2. Not being able to stop or control worrying
3. Worrying too much about different things
4. Trouble relaxing
5. Being so restless that it is hard to sit still
6. Becoming easily annoyed or irritable
7. Feeling afraid, as if something awful might happen
Optional. If you checked off any problems, how difficult have these problems made it for you to do your work, take care of things at home, or get along with other people?
Enter values Answer all 7 questions to see your score.
The Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) is a validated screening tool for estimating the severity of anxiety symptoms over the past 2 weeks. This page scores the questionnaire, explains the usual severity bands, and shows where a useful screening result still needs clinical interpretation rather than self-diagnosis.
How GAD-7 scoring works
Each of the 7 questions is scored from 0 to 3, giving a total score from 0 to 21. The usual interpretation bands are 0 to 4 for minimal symptoms, 5 to 9 for mild symptoms, 10 to 14 for moderate symptoms, and 15 to 21 for severe symptoms. In practice, clinicians often use the GAD-7 to support case finding and to track change over time.
The original validation work found that a cut-off of 10 performed well for identifying probable generalised anxiety disorder, which is why that threshold is quoted so often. But the GAD-7 was never meant to replace a full assessment. A high score can point toward clinically important anxiety while still leaving open what type of anxiety problem, what is driving it, and how urgent the situation is.
GAD-7 score = sum of 7 items (0 to 3 each)
The total score ranges from 0 to 21 and is usually interpreted across four severity bands.
What the GAD-7 can and cannot tell you
Although it was developed for generalised anxiety disorder, the GAD-7 can also rise with panic symptoms, social anxiety, trauma-related symptoms, depression, physical illness, medication effects, stimulant or caffeine excess, and stressful life events. So the score is useful, but it is not specific enough to tell you the full cause of someone’s distress.
The GAD-7 also does not directly assess obsessive-compulsive symptoms, psychosis, self-harm risk, mania, or substance-related causes of anxiety. That is why high scores should lead to a wider assessment rather than a narrow assumption that the answer must be GAD.
Worked example: what a score of 12 means
If someone answers the 7 items with scores that add up to 12, the result sits in the moderate band. That means anxiety symptoms are clinically important enough to justify follow-up rather than simple self-monitoring alone.
The score still does not diagnose generalised anxiety disorder by itself. It means the symptom burden is high enough that a clinician should consider fuller assessment, functional impact, and whether another anxiety presentation, depression, physical illness, medication effect, or major life stressor is contributing.
When anxiety symptoms need urgent help
A GAD-7 score can highlight severity, but urgency is not decided by the score alone. If someone feels unable to stay safe, is severely agitated, has suicidal thoughts, is unable to function, or is having symptoms that could be a medical emergency, use urgent support rather than waiting on screening results.
In the UK that can mean NHS 111 and the mental health option for urgent support, or 999 / A&E in an emergency. Outside the UK, use the local emergency number or crisis service. Screening tools support conversations; they do not replace crisis triage.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the GAD-7 to diagnose myself with GAD?
No. The GAD-7 is a validated screening questionnaire, not a diagnostic assessment. A diagnosis of GAD requires a fuller clinical review of symptom pattern, duration, impairment, physical-health overlap, medication effects, and whether another anxiety disorder or mental-health condition fits better.
Does a high GAD-7 score always mean generalised anxiety disorder?
No. A high score means anxiety symptoms are prominent, but the same pattern can appear with panic disorder, depression, trauma-related symptoms, physical illness, stimulant use, or major stress. The tool helps quantify symptoms; it does not identify the exact diagnosis by itself.
What treatments are commonly offered for generalised anxiety disorder?
Guideline-based treatment often includes guided self-help, cognitive behavioural therapy, and medicines such as SSRIs when needed. The right next step depends on severity, duration, functional impairment, risk, and whether there are other conditions alongside the anxiety.
