GAD-7 Anxiety Score Calculator
Score the GAD-7: 7 items to a 0 to 21 total with severity bands.
What it does
The GAD-7 does for anxiety what its sibling does for depression: seven plain questions, two weeks of recall, scores 0 to 3, total 0 to 21. Spitzer and colleagues built it for primary care, where anxiety hides behind stomach aches, insomnia, and busy schedules.
The tool above scores the seven answers at once. Pick a frequency per item. It returns the total, the severity band, and a next step. Defaults total 11, so the page opens solved at Moderate with an evaluation note.
The 10 point line carries the weight. At 10 or more the scale flags likely generalized anxiety disorder with strong sensitivity and specificity, while 5 and 15 step mild and severe. Higher totals also predict more disability days and clinic visits in the validation data.
Anxiety and depression travel together, so clinics pair this page with PHQ-9. Shared items like sleep and concentration lift both totals; divergent items like worry versus anhedonia separate them. Reading both bands beats either alone.
Use the table to fix bands in memory, then answer honestly. Repeat every two weeks during treatment and bring the slope, not a snapshot, to each visit.
How to use
- Answer all 7 items for the last 2 weeks.
- Use 0 not at all through 3 nearly every day.
- Read the total first, then the band.
- Arrange evaluation at 10 or more.
- Repeat every 2 weeks during care.
- Bring the trend to visits.
Formula
- Items
- Seven symptom ratings, each 0 to 3.
- Total
- Sum of all seven ratings.
- Cutoffs
- 5, 10, 15 step through the bands.
Each item rates frequency over the last 2 weeks: 0 not at all, 1 several days, 2 more than half the days, 3 nearly every day. Bands: 0 to 4 minimal, 5 to 9 mild, 10 to 14 moderate, 15 to 21 severe. Scores at or above 10 merit further evaluation.
Worked example
Example: total 11, moderate
Answers 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2 across the 7 items. Find the total and band.
- Score each item 0 to 3: 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2.
- Add: 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 11.
- 11 sits in 10 to 14, so the band is Moderate.
- At 10 or more, further evaluation is due.
- Repeat in 2 weeks to track change.
- Pair with PHQ-9 since anxiety and depression overlap.
Reference table
| Total | Band | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 4 | Minimal | Routine monitoring |
| 5 to 9 | Mild | Watchful waiting, repeat |
| 10 to 14 (worked: 11) | Moderate | Arrange further evaluation |
| 15 to 21 | Severe | Active treatment, prompt follow up |
Limits
- Screening aid, not a diagnosis.
- Misses context: thyroid, caffeine, cardiac mimics.
- Self report bends with insight and honesty.
- One snapshot never tracks change.
Common mistakes
- Skipping items and prorating casually.
- Testing once and never repeating.
- Confusing severity with diagnosis.
- Ignoring medical mimics of anxiety.
- Reading GAD-7 without PHQ-9 context.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
All answers not at all?
Seven 0s total 0: Minimal, routine monitoring only.
All answers nearly every day?
Seven 3s total 21: Severe, active treatment with prompt follow up.
All answers several days?
Seven 1s total 7: Mild, watchful waiting with repeat at follow up.
Questions
Is GAD-7 a diagnosis?
A self rated 7 item screen for anxiety symptoms over 2 weeks. It grades severity; diagnosis needs a clinician interview.
What cutoff finds cases?
10 or greater, with 89 percent sensitivity and 82 percent specificity in the original Spitzer study. Bands step at 5, 10, and 15.
What do flat answers give?
Seven 0s total 0, Minimal. Seven 1s total 7, Mild. Seven 3s total 21, Severe. The page spans the full range.
How often should I repeat it?
Yes, every 2 weeks during treatment. Falling totals track response; stuck totals deserve a plan change.
PHQ-9 and GAD-7 together?
Often together, which is why clinics run both. Each page scores its own scale; read them side by side.
Does a high score always mean anxiety?
No. Thyroid disease, caffeine, asthma drugs, and cardiac symptoms mimic anxiety items. Rule out medical causes first.