In practice, GAD-7 is best described as:

• A. A brief 7-item self-report scale to screen for and monitor generalized anxiety disorder severity
• B. A clinician interview for sleep patterns
• C. A 20-item lengthened scale for depression
• D. A caregiver checklist for pediatric mood

Answer: (C)

GAD-7 is a brief, self-administered questionnaire used to screen for generalized anxiety disorder and to gauge how severe the anxiety symptoms are. It contains seven items where the respondent reports how often they’ve been bothered by each symptom over the past two weeks, with scores from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day). The total ranges from 0 to 21, with interpretation commonly used as 5–9 mild, 10–14 moderate, and 15–21 severe. Its brevity and solid validity make it a go-to in primary care settings to quickly identify possible GAD and to monitor changes in severity during treatment. It isn’t a sleep-pattern interview, it isn’t a depression scale, and it isn’t a caregiver checklist for pediatric mood.