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Assessing GAD > Screening

In Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Assessment Shouldn't End at Diagnosis1,2

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Many patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) suffer from ongoing symptoms, the severity of which can fluctuate throughout their lives.1 Symptoms may be exacerbated during times of stress, such as physical illness or family or relationship conflict.3

The GAD-7 screener is a simple, validated tool for every stage of GAD management4,5

GAD screener

Using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item (GAD-7) screener can help identify individuals in need of diagnosis. Post-diagnosis, regular use of the GAD-7 screener can help track symptom changes over time, as well as characterize a patient's response to newly initiated or current treatment. Ongoing assessment can help identify patients with inadequately controlled symptoms.4,5

Scoring thresholds have been established and validated for interpreting the results of the GAD-7 screener4,6:

0-4

Minimal anxiety

5-9

Mild anxiety

10-14

Moderate anxiety

≥15

Severe anxiety

In addition to scoring, consider the patient’s own assessment of how GAD impacts their functioning (eg, difficulty with work, home life, or relationships).4

Download the GAD-7 screener

Regardless of symptom severity, the GAD-7 screener has been shown to improve anxiety outcomes7

Research examining consistent, structured GAD-7 screener use across a diverse clinical population found7:

relative improvement in patient anxiety outcomes post-implementation
of clinicians saw their patients improve after including the GAD-7 screener in their practice
Download the GAD-7 screener
Understand the impact of GAD

References

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  1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text rev. American Psychiatric Association; 2022.
  2. Anxiety disorders. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. February 6, 2014. Updated November 2024. Accessed March 11, 2026. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs53
  3. Generalized anxiety disorder: what you need to know. National Institute of Mental Health. Updated 2025. Accessed March 11, 2026. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad
  4. Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JBW, Löwe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(10):1092-1097.
  5. Munir S, Takov V. Generalized anxiety disorder. StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing; 2026-. Updated October 17, 2022. Accessed March 19, 2025. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441870
  6. Löwe B, Decker O, Müller S, et al. Validation and standardization of the generalized anxiety disorder screener (GAD-7) in the general population. Med Care. 2008;46(3):266-274.
  7. Forand NR, Nettiksimmons J, Brownell A, et al. The impact of measurement based care at scale: examining the effects of implementation on patient outcomes and provider behaviors. Front Health Serv. 2025;5:1659238.