Scale Overview & Construct
7-item anxiety screening tool measuring symptom severity over the past 2 weeks. Scores range from 0 to 21.
Purpose & Measurement Objectives
Instrument Specifications
Scientific Documentation & Psychometric Rigor
Internal Consistency & Reliability
Original validation study reported high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .92).
Construct & Criterion Validity
Validated against structured psychiatric interviews in primary care samples; one of the most widely used anxiety screening tools internationally.
Academic Citations
Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B., & Löwe, B. (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(10), 1092-1097.
Academic Citation & Instrument Provenance
When referencing this instrument in research, academic theses, or clinical institutional audits, please cite the original author publication:
Governance, Boundaries & Ethical Use
Imported from the OpenScales open item-bank project. This specific digital implementation has not been independently clinically validated by PsiQ — scores are for self-reflection, research, and educational purposes only, and are not a diagnosis.
License: Pfizer released all PHQ and GAD-7 screeners without copyright restriction (https://www.phqscreeners.com/); this OpenScales digital implementation is licensed CC BY 4.0. Citation: Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B., & Löwe, B. (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(10), 1092–1097. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092. This is not a diagnostic tool. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of self-harm, please contact a licensed mental health professional or a crisis helpline in your country immediately.