The GAD-7 — the clinically validated scale used by doctors and mental health professionals worldwide
Answer honestly about the past two weeks
The GAD-7 is designed to track change over time. Retaking every 2–4 weeks gives a meaningful picture.
The GAD-7 (Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale) was developed by Robert Spitzer, Kurt Kroenke, Janet Williams, and Bernd Löwe, and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2006. It has since become one of the most widely used anxiety screening instruments in primary care and clinical settings worldwide. The scale asks about the frequency of seven core anxiety symptoms over the past two weeks, with scores ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day) per item, producing a total score between 0 and 21.
Scores of 5, 10, and 15 represent the established cut-points for mild, moderate, and severe anxiety respectively. A score of 10 or above has a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 82% for generalised anxiety disorder in clinical populations, making it a reliable screening threshold. However, the GAD-7 is a screening tool — not a diagnostic instrument. A high score indicates that professional evaluation is recommended, not that a diagnosis has been made.
Yukti Labs · yuktilabs.in · Psychology · Self-Knowledge · Inner Science · This tool is for screening purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
The GAD-7 (Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale) is a validated clinical screening tool developed by Spitzer et al. (2006) and used worldwide to assess the severity of generalised anxiety. It takes less than two minutes to complete and produces a score that maps to minimal, mild, moderate, and severe anxiety severity levels.
Frequency of seven core anxiety symptoms over the past two weeks: feeling nervous or anxious, inability to stop worrying, worrying too much, difficulty relaxing, restlessness, irritability, and feeling afraid. Each item scored 0–3 based on frequency.
0–4: Minimal anxiety · 5–9: Mild anxiety · 10–14: Moderate anxiety · 15–21: Severe anxiety. Scores of 10 or above warrant clinical follow-up. The GAD-7 has sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 82% for GAD diagnosis.
Generalised anxiety corresponds closely to Vata imbalance in Ayurveda — specifically the dysregulation of Prana Vayu, the vital air that governs the mind and nervous system. The Vata mind, when disturbed, generates exactly the symptom cluster the GAD-7 measures: racing thoughts, inability to rest, fearfulness, and physical restlessness.
The GAD-7 is a screening tool, not a diagnostic instrument. A high score indicates that consultation with a mental health professional is warranted — it does not constitute a diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder.