Anxiety is more than just ‘being worried about everything’ like some people think. Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe. Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life. It’s particularly common to experience some anxiety while coping with stressful events or changes, especially if they could have a big impact on your life. This research-backed test measures the severity of your anxiety. Use this brief test to help you determine if you may need to see a mental health professional for diagnosis and treatment of anxiety, or for tracking your anxiety and mood on a regular basis. You can use the test on a weekly basis to track your moods. It also might be used to show your doctor how your symptoms have changed from one visit to the next.
Spitzer RL Kroenke K Williams JB et al. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med 2006;166:1092–1097.
