Anxiety Screening Questionnaire

What this questionnaire is

This is the GAD-7: a seven-item scale published in 2006 by Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams and Löwe, and now one of the most widely used anxiety screening tools in primary care. It asks how often you have been bothered by seven specific problems over the last two weeks.

It is used by doctors for two jobs: as a prompt for a conversation, and to track whether symptoms are moving over time. It is not used to diagnose anyone, and it should not be used that way here either.

What a score cannot tell you

The GAD-7 measures how you have felt over a fortnight. It cannot tell the difference between generalised anxiety, a reaction to something difficult happening in your life, a thyroid problem, a side effect of medication, too much caffeine, or several of those at once. Those distinctions are exactly what a clinician is for.

A low score also does not mean nothing is wrong. Some people experience anxiety mainly as physical symptoms, or in specific situations, and score low on a general scale while still struggling.

The score bands

• 0–4 — minimal
• 5–9 — mild
• 10–14 — moderate
• 15–21 — severe

A score of 10 or more is the threshold most commonly used as a prompt for further assessment.

How to use it

1. Answer about the last two weeks, not about how you feel in general or how you felt at your worst.
2. Answer honestly rather than carefully. There is no one reading this and no score to achieve.
3. Take the result to a person, not as an answer. The useful output is a number you can show a doctor, not a label.

What to do with the result

• If it is affecting your life, see your doctor. That is true at any score. The questionnaire is a way to start the conversation, and taking the number with you can make it easier to explain.
• Repeat it in a few weeks if you want to see whether things are moving. Change over time is more informative than one reading.
• If you are in crisis, do not wait for an appointment. Contact your local emergency services or a crisis line in your country now.

Nothing you answer here is recorded, transmitted or stored. The scoring happens in your browser and disappears when you close the tab.

Questions people ask

Is this an official anxiety test?

It is the GAD-7, a real and widely used screening questionnaire. But a screening questionnaire is not a diagnosis — it is a prompt for a conversation with a doctor.

What score means I have anxiety?

None of them. A score of 10 or more is commonly used as a threshold for further assessment, but only a clinician can say what is actually going on.

Are my answers saved?

No. Everything is scored in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere.

I scored low but still feel anxious.

That happens. Some people experience anxiety physically or only in particular situations, and a general scale can miss it. Trust your own experience over the number.

How often should I take it?

It asks about the last two weeks, so taking it more often than that tells you little. Doctors typically repeat it every few weeks to track change.