07Published measure

Nervous System Alertness and Tension

The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) is the international standard screening tool for assessing the frequency and severity of autonomic anxiety and uncontrollable worry.

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Psychometric Foundation and Rigor

Scientific Framework of the Instrument

Understand how this instrument is structured, its scoring rubrics, and the empirical research validating its methodology.

Evaluated Dimensions

The GAD-7 is the international gold standard self-report instrument for screening and measuring the severity of generalized anxiety symptoms.

Cognitive Worry: Difficulty controlling persistent worry, catastrophic forecasting, and anticipatory anxiety.

Autonomic Hyperarousal: Restlessness, muscle tension, inability to unwind, and fear of impending danger.

Severity Thresholds (0 to 21)

The GAD-7 sums the 7 items (0 to 3 each) over the past two weeks to determine overall anxiety severity.

Score Level / Criteria Psychometric Interpretation
0 - 4 Minimal anxiety Nervous arousal levels sit within normal baseline parameters.
5 - 9 Mild anxiety Mild situational tension; beneficial to incorporate somatic pauses and regulation.
10 - 14 Moderate anxiety Standard clinical threshold suggesting a professional mental health evaluation.
15 - 21 Severe anxiety Marked autonomic agitation and persistent worry warranting clinical care.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the GAD-7 scale measure?

It assesses excessive worry, autonomic tension, motor restlessness, and irritability over the past two weeks.

What are the GAD-7 score cutoffs?

0-4 indicates minimal anxiety, 5-9 mild, 10-14 moderate, and 15-21 severe. A score of 10 or greater is an established clinical referral threshold.

How reliable is the GAD-7 screener?

It features exceptional internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92) and strong sensitivity (89%) and specificity (82%) across clinical trials.

Is any personal data retained?

None. All calculations are executed purely in your browser's active tab.

Scientific Evidence and Citations

  • Spitzer, R. L., et al. (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(10), 1092-1097.
    View publication (DOI)