In plain words
The GAD-7 is a short questionnaire with seven questions. Each asks how often, over the past two weeks, a person has been bothered by worry or tension. Answers are scored from 0 to 3, for a total from 0 to 21. A total of 10 or more is a common point for a closer look. The score alone does not diagnose anxiety. A clinician uses it alongside a conversation. Many maternity offices and pediatric visits use screening questions like these during pregnancy and after birth. Some clinics also use the , which includes three anxiety items. A high score is a reason for a further conversation, not a verdict.
The deeper version
The GAD-7 is a seven-item self-report measure of anxiety symptoms over the prior two weeks, each item scored 0 to 3 for a total of 0 to 21 (Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams, and Loewe, Archives of Internal Medicine, 2006). In the original validation, a cut-off of 10 for generalized anxiety disorder gave good sensitivity and specificity. ACOG Clinical Practice Guideline No. 4 (2023) names the GAD-7, with 10 or more as the usual threshold for further assessment, alongside the anxiety items of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Perinatal validation studies report varying optimal thresholds. The open question is whether restlessness and irritability items overlap with the normal physical changes of pregnancy and the newborn period, which could inflate scores in this population.
Where it comes up
- Postpartum anxietyPostpartum: Mind
- Anxiety in pregnancyPregnancy: Mind and Life
- Touched outPostpartum: Mind
- Pregnancy after a lossPregnancy: Mind and Life
What mothers here say about GAD-7
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Sources
- Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB, Loewe B — A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2006
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Clinical Practice Guideline No. 4: Screening and diagnosis of mental health conditions during pregnancy and postpartum (2023)