Think back over the past two weeks and check
how often anxiety showed up for you.
The GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) is a 7-item self-report scale published in 2006 by Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams and Löwe. It was originally built to screen for generalized anxiety disorder, and later research showed it is also useful for spotting other anxiety problems such as panic disorder, social anxiety and post-traumatic stress, so it is now widely used in clinical practice. The items cover feeling nervous, being unable to stop worrying, worrying too much, trouble relaxing, restlessness, irritability, and fear that something awful might happen.
The test asks how often you have had these feelings over the past two weeks, not on one particular day. It helps to consider whether the tension has a clear cause, such as an exam or a job change, or whether the worry continues without an obvious reason.
Anxiety is a natural emotion everyone experiences, and this result is a reference, not a diagnosis. Physical causes such as caffeine, lack of sleep or an overactive thyroid can create symptoms similar to anxiety. If anxiety makes daily life difficult, please consult a psychiatrist or a licensed counselor.
Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JBW, Löwe B (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: The GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(10), 1092–1097. doi:10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092
✍️ Written by the CosmoTest team · Last reviewed: 2026-10-20 · This self-check content has not been clinically reviewed by a psychiatrist.