PulseLoopHealth

Anxiety Screening (GAD-7)

Subscribe

Over the past 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems?

Before You Begin

This is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. Results do not replace professional medical evaluation.

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

GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7)

A validated self-report screening tool. Reference: Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB, Löwe B. Arch Intern Med. 2006. It is not a diagnostic instrument.

View original publication on PubMed →

About anxiety and this questionnaire

What the GAD-7 is

The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 is a seven-question self-report screening tool, published by Spitzer and colleagues in 2006 and widely used in primary care. Like the PHQ-9 it asks about the past two weeks, because that is a window people can actually remember accurately.

It is a screening tool, not a diagnostic one. Note the mismatch in timescales: the GAD-7 asks about two weeks, but a diagnosis of generalised anxiety disorder requires difficulty controlling worry on most days for at least six months, plus three or more additional symptoms. A questionnaire cannot establish that. A clinician can.

Signs and symptoms

Anxiety is not only a feeling. NIMH lists these among the signs of generalised anxiety disorder, and several of them are physical — which is why anxiety is often first raised with a doctor as a stomach or sleep complaint.

  • Worrying excessively about everyday things
  • Trouble controlling worries or feelings of nervousness
  • Feeling irritable or "on edge" frequently
  • Feeling restless, or having trouble relaxing
  • A hard time concentrating
  • Trouble falling or staying asleep, or feeling fatigued
  • Headaches, muscle aches, stomachaches or tension
  • Trembling or twitching
  • Sweating a lot, light-headedness, or feeling out of breath
  • A hard time swallowing
  • Frequent trips to the bathroom

The anxiety disorders

Generalised anxiety disorder
Worry about many everyday things, most days, that is hard to control. This is what the GAD-7 screens for.
Panic disorder
Recurrent panic attacks — sudden episodes of intense fear with strong physical symptoms.
Social anxiety disorder
Intense fear of being watched or judged in social situations.
Phobia-related disorders
Intense fear of a specific object or situation, out of proportion to the actual danger.

NIMH notes that anxiety disorders may run in families, that a traumatic event or a stressful environment raises the risk, and that women are more likely than men to develop generalised anxiety disorder.

What treatment looks like

NIMH describes three strands. Psychotherapy — cognitive behavioural therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy in particular. Medication — SSRIs, SNRIs, buspirone, and benzodiazepines for short-term use. And support alongside both: exercise, mindfulness, meditation and sleep.

Anxiety and depression frequently occur together, which is why a doctor will often ask about both. Your regular doctor is a reasonable first step — they can also rule out physical causes such as thyroid problems, and review whether any medication you take could be contributing.

Sources