What it measures
The first two questions of the GAD-7: nervousness and uncontrollable worry over the last two weeks. A gate to the fuller version, not a measure on its own.
How a result is read
No norm; the score is read against the published cut-off only. A total of 3 or more is the standard positive screen (Kroenke et al., 2007).
Your score is read against adults generally. The bands below come from the shape of a normal distribution, which is the model the scoring assumes rather than a count from a reference sample. Most people sit in the middle and both ends are rare by definition, so a band is a position in a distribution, not a verdict.
Good uses
- A quick check on how the last two weeks have been.
- A starting point for a conversation with a doctor or psychologist.
- Repeating it over time to see whether things are changing.
Known limits
- It counts symptoms over two weeks; it cannot tell what is causing them.
- It is a screening tool, not a diagnosis, and does not replace speaking to a professional.
Before you start
This result is not a diagnosis. The questionnaire counts how often you have noticed certain experiences recently; it cannot tell why they are there or what they mean for you. Only a qualified clinician can do that, in a conversation that takes your history and your situation into account. A high score is a reason to talk to someone; a low score does not rule anything out if you are struggling.
If you are in Montenegro and need help now: call 124 for emergency medical help or 112 for any emergency, or go to the nearest emergency department (hitna pomoć). Outside Montenegro, contact your local emergency number or crisis line.
Other tests
Covering similar ground: Depression Screener (PHQ-9), Depression Screener (PHQ-8), Two-Question Depression Check (PHQ-2), Four-Question Anxiety and Depression Check (PHQ-4).
Where these come from
PHQ and GAD-7 screeners developed by Drs. Robert L. Spitzer, Janet B.W. Williams, Kurt Kroenke and colleagues, with an educational grant from Pfizer Inc. No permission required to reproduce, translate, display or distribute.