GAD-7 Scoring Calculator
Score and interpret the GAD-7 anxiety scale.
- Spitzer et al. (2006) cutoffs
- Private, runs in your browser
Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems?
Symptoms
Items 1-7
Difficulty
Not scored
Scoring example
A made-up client at their fourth session, who scored 17 at intake.
| Item | Answer | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge | Nearly every day | 3 |
| Not being able to stop or control worrying | More than half the days | 2 |
| Worrying too much about different things | More than half the days | 2 |
| Trouble relaxing | More than half the days | 2 |
| Being so restless that it is hard to sit still | Several days | 1 |
| Becoming easily annoyed or irritable | More than half the days | 2 |
| Feeling afraid, as if something awful might happen | Several days | 1 |
| Total | 13 | |
The copied result
GAD-7 (last 2 weeks): total 13/21. Moderate anxiety range (10-14). At or above the screening cutoff of 10 for generalized anxiety disorder. GAD-2 (items 1-2): 5/6, positive at the cutoff of 3. Functional difficulty: somewhat difficult. Down 4 points from the previous score of 17. That reaches the 4-point minimal clinically important difference estimated by Toussaint et al. (2020) in patients with chronic depression. Screening result; confirm with a clinical interview before diagnosing.
How to score the GAD-7
Each of the 7 items asks how often a symptom bothered the client over the last 2 weeks. Score the answers 0 to 3:
- 0
- Not at all
- 1
- Several days
- 2
- More than half the days
- 3
- Nearly every day
Add the 7 item scores for a total from 0 to 21. The last question, about how difficult the problems have made work, home and relationships, isn’t added to the total. Record it alongside the score as a sign of how much the symptoms get in the way.
What GAD-7 scores mean
Spitzer et al. (2006) set cut points of 5, 10 and 15 for mild, moderate and severe anxiety:
- 0-4
- Minimal
- 5-9
- Mild
- 10-14
- Moderate
- 15-21
- Severe
As a screen, a total of 10 or higher is the usual cutoff. In the original study it identified generalized anxiety disorder with 89% sensitivity and 82% specificity. Kroenke et al. (2007) found the GAD-7 also works reasonably well as a screen for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and PTSD, though it can’t tell them apart.
A positive screen isn’t a diagnosis. Follow it with a clinical interview, and read a score below the cutoff alongside the difficulty rating and what you see in session.
The GAD-2
The first two items, feeling nervous, anxious or on edge and not being able to stop or control worrying, make up the GAD-2. It scores 0 to 6, and Kroenke et al. (2007) used 3 or higher as a positive screen. Many practices give the GAD-2 first and the full GAD-7 only when it’s positive. The calculator shows the GAD-2 as soon as both items are answered.
Tracking change over time
Give the GAD-7 at intake and again during treatment, then enter the previous total in the calculator. The best-known minimal clinically important difference is 4 points, an estimate from Toussaint et al. (2020). It comes from 261 patients in a trial for chronic depression, with improvement judged by depression ratings, and the authors recommend confirming it in anxiety-focused populations. Treat a change of 4 or more as a useful marker, not a fixed rule.
Because the form asks about the last 2 weeks, giving it more often than every 2 weeks means the time frames overlap.
Billing and documentation
Giving and scoring a standardized instrument like the GAD-7 is billed as CPT 96127, one unit per instrument.
When a clinical interview confirms the diagnosis, generalized anxiety disorder is F41.1. The anxiety ICD-10 codes cover the rest of the F40-F41 range, and the anxiety treatment plan is a free template for what comes next.
In HIPAAtherapy, you can build the GAD-7 as a client form: one Select field per item, with the four answers as options. Send it from the client’s profile, they complete it in the portal before the session, and you score their answers here.
Questions
What is the GAD-7?
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) is a self-report questionnaire that asks how often seven anxiety symptoms bothered someone over the last 2 weeks. Spitzer and colleagues published it in 2006 to screen for generalized anxiety disorder and measure its severity.
How do you score the GAD-7?
Each item is scored 0 (Not at all), 1 (Several days), 2 (More than half the days) or 3 (Nearly every day). Add the seven items for a total from 0 to 21. The difficulty question at the end isn't added to the total.
What do GAD-7 scores mean?
Spitzer et al. (2006) set cut points of 5, 10 and 15 for mild, moderate and severe anxiety. So 0-4 is minimal, 5-9 is mild, 10-14 is moderate, and 15-21 is severe.
What GAD-7 score indicates generalized anxiety disorder?
A score of 10 or higher is the usual screening cutoff. In the original study it identified generalized anxiety disorder with 89% sensitivity and 82% specificity. A positive screen calls for a clinical interview before a diagnosis.
What does a GAD-7 score of 7 mean?
A score of 7 falls in the mild range (5-9) and below the screening cutoff of 10. It doesn't rule out an anxiety disorder, so read it alongside the clinical picture and the difficulty rating.
What is the GAD-2?
The GAD-2 is the first two GAD-7 items: feeling nervous, anxious or on edge, and not being able to stop or control worrying. It scores 0 to 6. Kroenke et al. (2007) used a cutoff of 3 or higher as a positive screen, which calls for the full GAD-7 or a clinical interview.
How much change on the GAD-7 is meaningful?
The best-known estimate is 4 points. Toussaint et al. (2020) derived it from 261 patients in a trial for chronic depression, judging improvement by depression ratings, and recommended confirming it in anxiety-focused populations. Treat a change of 4 or more as a useful marker, not a fixed rule.
Does the GAD-7 screen for other anxiety disorders?
It was built for generalized anxiety disorder, but Kroenke et al. (2007) found it also performs reasonably well as a screen for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and PTSD. It doesn't tell you which disorder is present.
Is the GAD-7 free to use?
Yes. It was developed by Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke and colleagues with an educational grant from Pfizer. No permission is required to reproduce, translate, display or distribute it.
What CPT code do I use for the GAD-7?
Administering and scoring a standardized instrument like the GAD-7 is billed as CPT 96127, one unit per instrument. Check each payer's rules on frequency and on billing it alongside psychotherapy.
Is this GAD-7 calculator private?
Yes. Scoring happens in your browser. Nothing you select is sent anywhere or saved, and it's cleared when you leave the page.
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