You took a GAD-7 assessment—maybe at your doctor's office, in therapy, or online—and now you're staring at a number. What does it actually mean? And more importantly, what should you do about it?
The quick answer
The GAD-7 measures anxiety symptoms over the past two weeks. Your score falls into one of four ranges:
| Score | What it means |
|---|---|
| 0-4 | Minimal anxiety |
| 5-9 | Mild anxiety |
| 10-14 | Moderate anxiety |
| 15-21 | Severe anxiety |
A score of 10 or higher suggests anxiety that may benefit from professional support. But the number alone doesn't tell the whole story—how much your symptoms affect your daily life matters too.
What each question measures
The GAD-7 asks about seven specific anxiety experiences. Here's what each one captures:
1. Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge — The baseline "anxious feeling" most people recognize
2. Not being able to stop or control worrying — When worry feels like it has a mind of its own
3. Worrying too much about different things — Anxiety that jumps from topic to topic
4. Trouble relaxing — Physical and mental tension that won't let up
5. Being so restless that it's hard to sit still — Anxiety showing up in your body
6. Becoming easily annoyed or irritable — Anxiety often wears the mask of irritability
7. Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen — Dread or impending doom
If you scored high on questions 2 and 3 (uncontrollable worry about many things), that's the core pattern of generalized anxiety. But the GAD-7 also picks up other anxiety types—panic, social anxiety, and trauma-related anxiety all tend to elevate scores.
What your score range means
Minimal anxiety (0-4)
Your anxiety symptoms are within the normal range. Everyone experiences some worry and nervousness—that's human. At this level, your anxiety likely isn't interfering with your life.
What to do: No specific action needed. Keep doing what you're doing. If you took this as a baseline, it's useful information for comparison later.
Mild anxiety (5-9)
You're experiencing some anxiety symptoms, but they're likely manageable. This might be situational—a stressful work period, relationship issues, or life transitions often push scores into this range.
What to do:
- Track whether it's temporary (related to specific stressors) or ongoing
- Try self-help approaches: regular exercise, sleep hygiene, limiting caffeine
- Consider a mental health app or workbook for anxiety management
- If it persists for several weeks, mention it at your next medical appointment
Moderate anxiety (10-14)
This level typically warrants professional attention. Your anxiety is likely affecting your daily life—work performance, relationships, or ability to enjoy things.
What to do:
- Talk to your doctor or a mental health professional
- You might benefit from therapy (CBT is highly effective for anxiety)
- Medication may be worth discussing, especially if symptoms have persisted
- Don't wait to see if it gets worse—moderate anxiety responds well to treatment
Severe anxiety (15-21)
This indicates significant anxiety that's almost certainly impacting your quality of life. You deserve support, and effective treatments exist.
What to do:
- Seek professional help soon—this week if possible
- Talk to your primary care doctor as a starting point
- Consider both therapy and medication—they work well together for severe anxiety
- If you're having thoughts of self-harm, contact a crisis line or go to an emergency room
How to use your score over time
A single GAD-7 score is a snapshot. Tracking scores over time shows you the trend—and that's often more useful than any single number. For more on this approach, see our guide on how to track your mental health over time.
Tracking tips:
- Retake the assessment every 2-4 weeks during treatment
- A drop of 5+ points usually indicates meaningful improvement
- Scores fluctuate; don't overreact to small week-to-week changes
- Share your tracking history with your provider—it helps them help you
Some people keep a simple log: date, score, and a note about what was happening in their life. Patterns often emerge—maybe your anxiety spikes during work deadlines or family visits.
What the GAD-7 doesn't tell you
This assessment has real limitations:
It's not a diagnosis. A high score suggests anxiety that needs attention, but it can't tell you whether you have generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety, or something else entirely. That requires a clinical evaluation.
It only covers two weeks. If your anxiety is episodic or recently started, one assessment may not capture the full picture.
It doesn't explain why. The GAD-7 measures symptom severity, not causes. Anxiety can stem from life circumstances, medical conditions, medications, substances, or underlying mental health conditions.
Physical conditions can mimic anxiety. Thyroid problems, heart conditions, and some medications can cause anxiety-like symptoms. If you scored high and haven't had a recent medical checkup, that's worth doing.
Common questions
My score was high but I don't feel that anxious. Is the test wrong?
Not necessarily. Some people are so accustomed to anxiety that it feels normal. Others minimize symptoms when answering. Consider whether the specific symptoms (restlessness, irritability, uncontrollable worry) actually apply to you, even if you wouldn't label them "anxiety."
My score is low but I definitely feel anxious. Why?
The GAD-7 focuses on generalized anxiety symptoms. If your anxiety is specific—fear of flying, social situations, or trauma-related—you might score lower on this particular assessment. There are other tools better suited for specific anxiety types.
Can I take this too often?
Weekly is fine during active treatment. More than that probably isn't useful—symptoms need time to change, and over-monitoring can itself become an anxious behavior.
What if my score keeps fluctuating?
Some fluctuation is normal. Focus on the overall trend rather than individual scores. If your average over a month is improving, you're heading in the right direction.
Is my score "bad" if it's high?
There's no moral value to anxiety scores. A high score means you're experiencing significant symptoms—it says nothing about your character, strength, or worth. Anxiety is a common, treatable condition. Getting help isn't a failure; it's a practical response to a real problem.
Should I take this before seeing my therapist?
Many therapists find it helpful when clients complete the GAD-7 before sessions. It gives you both objective data to discuss and helps track progress over time.
Related assessments
If you're curious about other aspects of your mental health:
- PHQ-9 — Depression screening. Anxiety and depression often occur together, so checking both makes sense. See what your PHQ-9 score means
- GAD-2 — A two-question version for quick screening. See what your GAD-2 score means
- PHQ-4 — Combined brief screen for both anxiety and depression. See what your PHQ-4 score means
- DASS-21 — Measures depression, anxiety, and stress together. See what your DASS-21 score means
- PCL-5 — If trauma might be contributing to your anxiety. See what your PCL-5 score means
- HAM-A — Clinician-administered anxiety scale. See what your HAM-A score means
The bottom line
Your GAD-7 score gives you useful information about your current anxiety level. Minimal scores (0-4) suggest you're doing fine. Mild scores (5-9) are worth monitoring. Moderate to severe scores (10+) are a signal to seek professional support—not because something is wrong with you, but because effective help exists and you don't need to manage this alone.
Track your scores over time to see how you're doing. And remember: anxiety is one of the most treatable mental health conditions. Whatever your score today, it can improve.