Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item (GAD-2)
ShareThe Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item (GAD-2) is a very brief and easy to perform initial screening tool for generalized anxiety disorder.1
Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems?
Not at all
Several days
More than half the days
Nearly every day
1. Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge
2. Not being able to stop or control worrying
GAD-2 score obtained by adding score for each question (total points)
Interpretation:
A score of 3 points is the preferred cut-off for identifying possible cases and in which further diagnostic evaluation for generalized anxiety disorder is warranted. Using a cut-off of 3 the GAD-2 has a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 83% for diagnosis generalized anxiety disorder.
Performance as Screening Tool for Anxiety Disorders
Although designed as a screening tool for generalized anxiety, the GAD-2 is also performs reasonably well as a screening tool for three other common anxiety disorders—Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. 1
| Test | Sensitivity | Specificity | Positive Likelihood Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generalized Anxiety Disorder | 86% | 83% | 5.0 |
| Panic Disorder | 76% | 81% | 4.1 |
| Social Anxiety Disorder | 70% | 81% | 3.6 |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | 59% | 81% | 3.1 |
| Any Anxiety Disorder | 65% | 88% | 5.2 |
Sources
- Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB, Monahan PO, Löwe B. Anxiety disorders in primary care: prevalence, impairment, comorbidity, and detection. Ann Intern Med. 2007;146:317-25.
Acknowledgement
The GAD-2 was based on the GAD-7, which was 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.
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