Appendix 114-J Assessment Instruments for Non-Medicaid Home and Community Based Services: Generalized Anxiety Disorder – 7 Item Scale (GAD-7) | HCBS-5300-MANUAL

The Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD) was an instrument developed and validated in the early 1990s to efficiently diagnose five of the most common types of mental disorders presenting in medical populations: depressive, anxiety, somatoform, alcohol, and eating disorders. The 27-item test was found to be a barrier to use in busy clinical settings. In two large studies, a self-administered version of the PRIME-MD called the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) was developed and validated. Though originally developed to diagnose generalized anxiety disorder, the GAD-7 also provide to have good sensitivity and specificity as a screener for panic, social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Based on the Depression and Anxiety section of the Risk Assessment Tool (Section G) using the PHQ-2 and GAD-2 screens, or based on professional judgement, staff may complete the GAD-7 assessment tool.

Before using the GAD-7, staff must complete webinar #23 entitled “Assessment for Anxiety in Older Adults” on the Rosalynn Carter Institute website. The GAD-7 consists of seven questions, with each question offering a choice of four responses:

Ask the consumer each question and record the response.

The system automatically computes a total score. The Level of Anxiety allows staff to identify the degree to which the consumer indicates anxiety disorder based on the total score:

If the client scores a 10 or higher, refer the client for additional evaluation, either from a primary care physician or mental health professional.