Everyone feels anxious sometimes. The question is when worry crosses the line into something that deserves attention. A short, validated screening questionnaire — the GAD-7 — is one of the most common ways doctors and therapists start that conversation. Here’s how anxiety screening works, what your score may mean, and what to do next.
Not sure if it’s anxiety?
Take Online-Therapy.com’s free anxiety test. It takes a few minutes and gives you a starting point — it’s a screening, not a diagnosis.
Take the free anxiety test →Sponsored link · Cancel anytime · Not an emergency service — in crisis, call or text 988
Signs anxiety may be more than everyday stress
- Worry that’s hard to control and shows up most days
- Feeling restless, keyed up, or on edge
- Getting tired easily or having trouble concentrating
- Irritability or muscle tension
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
- Avoiding situations because of fear, or panic attacks
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 31.1% of US adults experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and phobias.
How the GAD-7 anxiety test works
The GAD-7 was developed and validated in a 2006 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (Spitzer et al.). It asks how often, over the last two weeks, you’ve been bothered by seven common anxiety symptoms — such as feeling nervous or on edge, not being able to stop worrying, trouble relaxing, and feeling afraid something awful might happen. Each answer scores from 0 (“not at all”) to 3 (“nearly every day”), for a total from 0 to 21.
| GAD-7 score | Anxiety level (screening) |
|---|---|
| 0–4 | Minimal |
| 5–9 | Mild |
| 10–14 | Moderate |
| 15–21 | Severe |
Important: a screening score is not a diagnosis. It’s a structured way to describe how you’ve been feeling, which a doctor or therapist can then explore with you.
Not sure if it’s anxiety?
Take Online-Therapy.com’s free anxiety test. It takes a few minutes and gives you a starting point — it’s a screening, not a diagnosis.
Take the free anxiety test →Sponsored link · Cancel anytime · Not an emergency service — in crisis, call or text 988
What to do with your result
- Minimal (0–4): keep an eye on how you feel; healthy sleep, movement, and limiting caffeine help many people.
- Mild (5–9): self-help CBT techniques can help; consider talking to someone if it isn’t improving after a few weeks.
- Moderate (10–14): it’s worth talking to a licensed therapist or your doctor. CBT is one of the most studied treatments for anxiety.
- Severe (15–21): reach out to a professional soon. If you’re in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988.
Treatment options
NIMH lists psychotherapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and medication as the main treatments for anxiety disorders. CBT can also be done online: guided internet-based CBT produced equivalent overall effects to face-to-face CBT in a 2014 meta-analysis (Andersson et al.). Questions about medication are best discussed with a doctor or psychiatrist.
See our guide to the best online therapy for anxiety or our Online-Therapy.com review.
Frequently asked questions
Can an online test diagnose anxiety?
No. Tests like the GAD-7 are screening tools. Only a qualified professional can diagnose an anxiety disorder.
How long does the GAD-7 take?
About two minutes — it has seven questions about the last two weeks.
What score means I should get help?
A GAD-7 score of 10 or more is commonly used as a signal to seek further evaluation, but you can reach out at any score if anxiety is affecting your life.
You don’t have to handle anxiety alone.
Online-Therapy.com connects you with a licensed therapist and a structured CBT program you can follow from home. Use code THERAPY20 for 20% off your first month.
See how it works for anxiety →Sponsored link · Cancel anytime · Not an emergency service — in crisis, call or text 988
Sources
- Spitzer RL et al. (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine.
- NIMH: Any Anxiety Disorder (statistics)
- NIMH: Anxiety Disorders
- NIMH: Psychotherapies
- Andersson G. et al. (2014). Guided Internet-based vs. face-to-face CBT: a systematic review and meta-analysis. World Psychiatry.
- SAMHSA: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline