Anxiety Test (GAD-7 Screener)
Interactive GAD-7 anxiety screener (0–21; ≥10 = moderate anxiety, sensitivity 89%). DSM-5-TR GAD criteria, 6 anxiety disorder types, and treatment overview.
GAD-7 Score Interpreter
Scores 5–9 indicate mild anxiety. Monitoring and psychoeducation may be appropriate.
7 items, each scored 0–3 (not at all to nearly every day); sum all items. Higher scores indicate greater anxiety severity.
| Total score | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| 15+ | Severe anxietyScores ≥15 indicate severe anxiety symptoms. Active clinical assessment and treatment planning are indicated. |
| 10–14 | Moderate anxietyScores 10–14 indicate moderate anxiety. Further evaluation and watchful follow-up are recommended; ≥10 is the standard clinical action threshold. |
| 5–9 | Mild anxietyScores 5–9 indicate mild anxiety. Monitoring and psychoeducation may be appropriate. |
| 0–4 | Minimal anxietyScores 0–4 indicate minimal anxiety symptoms. |
Spitzer et al. 2006; Kroenke et al. 2010. Severity ranges per Spitzer RL et al., Arch Intern Med 2006. Educational reference only — not a diagnostic tool.
The GAD-7 is the criterion-standard 7-item anxiety screener used worldwide in primary care and behavioural health. GAD-7 ≥10 = moderate anxiety (sensitivity 89%, specificity 82%). Score 0–21 across 4 severity levels. Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams & Löwe (2006). Free for clinical use.
Do I Have Anxiety? What Anxiety Actually Is
Anxiety is a normal human emotion that serves as an adaptive warning signal. Anxiety disorders occur when anxiety becomes excessive, persistent, hard to control, and causes significant distress or impairment, either in response to situations that don't warrant that level of concern, or through anticipatory worry about future events. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health conditions in the world, affecting approximately 284 million people globally.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), the anxiety disorder most widely screened for using the GAD-7, involves persistent, excessive worry about multiple topics (finances, health, work, relationships) that is difficult to control, typically accompanied by physical symptoms such as muscle tension, irritability, sleep disturbance, and fatigue. GAD is distinct from Social Anxiety Disorder (fear of scrutiny), Panic Disorder (fear of panic attacks), and specific phobias (fear of specific objects or situations).
The GAD-7, developed by Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams, and Löwe (2006), is the most widely validated anxiety screening and monitoring tool in primary care and behavioural health settings. A GAD-7 score of 10 or above has sensitivity 89% and specificity 82% for GAD, and also screens effectively for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and PTSD. The GAD-7 is free for clinical and non-commercial research use.
GAD-7 Anxiety Screener
Rate how often you've been bothered by each of the following problems over the last 2 weeks. GAD-7 is free for clinical and non-commercial use.
GAD-7 © Pfizer Inc. Free for clinical and non-commercial research use. GAD-7 screens for GAD, panic, social anxiety, and PTSD at ≥10. This screener does not replace clinical evaluation by a healthcare provider.
GAD-7 Score Reference
Spitzer et al. (2006). GAD-7 ≥10 is the standard clinical cutoff. As a functional impairment measure, GAD-7 also tracks whether anxiety is impacting work, social activities, or daily functioning.
Score Interpretation
The GAD-7 is scored by summing all seven items (each 0–3), giving a total of 0 to 21. The four severity bands below reflect the cutpoints established by Spitzer et al. (2006) and confirmed in the systematic review by Kroenke et al. (2010):
| Total score | Severity band | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | Minimal anxiety | No action required; re-screen if clinical picture changes |
| 5–9 | Mild anxiety | Watchful waiting; psychoeducation; re-screen at next visit |
| 10–14 | Moderate anxiety | Further evaluation; consider diagnosis and treatment plan |
| 15–21 | Severe anxiety | Active clinical assessment; prompt treatment initiation indicated |
A score of 10 or above (≥10) is the standard action threshold. In the original derivation study (Spitzer et al., 2006; n = 965 in primary care), this cutoff yielded sensitivity 89% and specificity 82% for diagnosing GAD against a structured clinical interview. A 2025 Cochrane meta-analysis (Aktürk et al., 2025; 48 studies, 19,228 participants) found summary sensitivity of 0.64 and specificity of 0.91 at the same threshold for detecting GAD — a well-documented optimism gap between single-study derivation estimates and pooled real-world performance. In practice, ≥10 is retained as the action threshold because the modest sensitivity loss is acceptable for a brief screener used to prompt further evaluation, not to rule out the disorder definitively.
The GAD-7 also includes a functional impairment item asking how much anxiety symptoms have made it difficult to work, care for things at home, or get along with others. This item does not contribute to the total score but provides important clinical context.
DSM-5-TR GAD Criteria
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is diagnosed in DSM-5-TR when the following criteria are met:
Core features (A + B):
- A. Excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation) about a number of events or activities, occurring more days than not for at least 6 months.
- B. The person finds it difficult to control the worry.
Associated symptoms (C): at least 3 of the following 6:
| # | Symptom |
|---|---|
| 1 | Restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge |
| 2 | Being easily fatigued |
| 3 | Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank |
| 4 | Irritability |
| 5 | Muscle tension |
| 6 | Sleep disturbance (difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless, unsatisfying sleep) |
(For children, only one symptom from criterion C is required.)
Additional requirements (D–F):
- D. The anxiety, worry, or physical symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
- E. The disturbance is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., medication, drug of abuse) or a medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism).
- F. The disturbance is not better explained by another mental disorder.
The GAD-7 maps directly onto these symptom criteria: its seven items capture the worry dimension plus the six associated physical/cognitive symptoms. A positive screen (≥10) is consistent with probable GAD but does not replace a structured clinical interview; medical causes (thyroid disease, cardiac arrhythmia, caffeine excess) must be excluded.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
In DSM-5-TR, anxiety disorders form a distinct chapter. Obsessive-compulsive disorder and trauma- and stressor-related disorders (including PTSD) are classified in separate chapters. The six principal anxiety disorders are:
| Disorder | Core feature | ICD-10-CM |
|---|---|---|
| Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) | Persistent, excessive worry about multiple topics for ≥6 months; difficult to control | F41.1 |
| Panic Disorder | Recurrent unexpected panic attacks plus persistent concern about further attacks or their consequences | F41.0 |
| Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) | Marked fear of social situations in which the person may be scrutinized by others | F40.10 |
| Specific Phobia | Marked fear of a circumscribed object or situation (e.g., animals, heights, blood-injection-injury, enclosed spaces) | F40.2x |
| Agoraphobia | Fear and avoidance of situations where escape might be difficult or help unavailable during a panic-like episode | F40.00 |
| Separation Anxiety Disorder | Excessive fear or anxiety concerning separation from attachment figures, beyond what is developmentally expected | F93.0 |
The GAD-7, at a cutoff of ≥10, also performs adequately as a broad anxiety screener beyond GAD. Kroenke et al. (2010) found it had good operating characteristics for detecting panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and PTSD (the latter classified outside the anxiety chapter in DSM-5-TR but frequently comorbid). Sensitivity for any anxiety disorder is somewhat lower than for GAD alone, reflecting that some anxiety disorders manifest less through generalized worry and more through fear-specific or avoidance-driven presentations.
Anxiety Treatment Overview
CBT, particularly Cognitive Restructuring combined with Worry Exposure (for GAD) and Exposure and Response Prevention (for phobias and OCD), achieves clinically significant improvement in 70–80% of people with anxiety disorders. SSRIs and SNRIs are first-line medications. For many anxiety disorders, CBT alone is as effective as medication, with more durable effects. Anxiety disorders are among the most treatment-responsive conditions in psychiatry.
Anxiety Outcome Monitoring in HiBoop
GAD-7, PHQ-9, PHQ-4, and SPIN, integrated anxiety and comorbid depression outcome monitoring for primary care, behavioural health, and specialty anxiety programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the anxiety test?
The anxiety test on this page uses the GAD-7, a 7-item self-report generalized anxiety screener scoring 0 to 21. The GAD-7 assesses how often each anxiety symptom has bothered the respondent over the past two weeks on a 0 to 3 scale. Developed by Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams, and Löwe (2006) and used worldwide as the criterion-standard brief anxiety screener.
How do you score the anxiety test?
Each of the 7 GAD-7 items is scored 0 (not at all), 1 (several days), 2 (more than half the days), or 3 (nearly every day). Item scores are summed for a total ranging from 0 to 21. Severity bands are 0 to 4 minimal, 5 to 9 mild, 10 to 14 moderate, and 15 to 21 severe anxiety.
What is a normal anxiety test score?
A GAD-7 score of 0 to 4 indicates minimal anxiety and is considered the normal range. Scores of 5 to 9 indicate mild anxiety, 10 to 14 moderate, and 15 to 21 severe. A score of 10 or higher is the standard cutoff that warrants further clinical evaluation for an anxiety disorder.
Can I bill CPT 96127 for an anxiety test?
Yes, CPT 96127 (brief emotional/behavioural assessment) can be billed when a clinician administers, scores, and documents the GAD-7 with clinical interpretation. CPT 96127 reimburses approximately $5 to $6 per administration and allows up to four scales per visit. Documentation must include the score, severity band, and clinical action taken.
What ICD-10 code does the anxiety test support?
The GAD-7 anxiety test most directly supports ICD-10-CM code F41.1 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder). It also has secondary screening utility for F41.0 (Panic Disorder), F40.10 (Social Anxiety Disorder), and F43.10 (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), making it a versatile tool for general anxiety symptom triage.
Can an anxiety test diagnose anxiety?
No, the GAD-7 anxiety test is a screening and severity-monitoring tool, not a diagnostic measure. A positive screen indicates symptoms consistent with an anxiety disorder and warrants a full clinical evaluation. Diagnosis additionally requires ruling out medical contributors (thyroid disease, cardiac arrhythmia), substance-induced anxiety, and other psychiatric conditions.
References
- 1.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):1092–7.View source
- 2.Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JBW, Löwe B. The Patient Health Questionnaire somatic, anxiety, and depressive symptom scales: a systematic review. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2010;32(4):345–59.View source
- 3.Aktürk Z, Hapfelmeier A, Fomenko A, et al. Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) and 2-item (GAD-2) scales for detecting anxiety disorders in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025;3:CD015455.View source
Bill this assessment
The Anxiety Test (GAD-7 Screener) qualifies for reimbursement under these CPT codes (US).
Last reviewed: Jun 3, 2026
Related Assessments
Explore complementary clinical tools and screeners