Quick and easy self-rating of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Validity of the Dutch web-based GAD-7, GAD-2 and GAD-SI
Abstract
Screening of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), which is often undetected and untreated, could be improved by quick and easy web-based data collection. This paper aims to validate the web-based self-rated 7-item GAD-7, its shortened 2-item GAD-2 and a single item from the GAD-7 scale (GAD-SI) to screen for GAD. Of a total of 502 subjects aged 18-80 who rated the web-based GAD-7, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), 157 (31%) subjects had a WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV-disorders by telephone. The GAD-7 had good reliability. Subjects with a GAD-diagnosis had significantly higher means on GAD-2, GAD-SI and GAD-7 than subjects without a GAD-diagnosis. The AUC (Area Under the Curve) of the GAD-SI and GAD-2 was accurate and not significantly different to the GAD-7 AUC. The web-based GAD-SI, GAD-2 and GAD-7 are reliable, valid tools to quickly screen for GAD in busy mental health settings and clinical research. More research is needed to validate the GAD-SI 'Do you have trouble relaxing' to see if its screening properties approach those of the GAD-7.
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The GAD-7 is a 7-item questionnaire that measures the frequency of anxiety symptoms.
“The GAD-7 [80, 81] is a 7-item questionnaire to measure the frequency of anxiety symptoms on a 4-point Likert scale (0 = not at all, 3 = almost every day) for the past week.”
The GAD-2 is a reliable, valid, and sufficiently sensitive and specific instrument.
“The GAD-2 is a reliable, valid, and sufficiently sensitive and specific instrument [55, 63, 64].”
The reliability and validity of a web-based Dutch translation of the GAD-7 have been established.
“The reliability and validity of a web-based Dutch translation of the GAD-7 have also been established [63].”
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- Authors
- Donker, T., van Straten, A., Marks, I., & Cuijpers, P.
- Affiliations
- Amsterdam Public Health (NL)
- King's College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Donker, Tara
- Venue
- Psychiatry Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-06
- Volume
- 188
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 58-64
- ISSN
- 0165-1781 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1987846124
- Cited by
- 273
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 19 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 8.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychiatry Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Digital Academic REpository of VU University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
- VU Research Portal (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
- Keywords
- generalized anxiety disorder, GAD-7, GAD-2, web-based screening, self-rated anxiety, screening validity, screening reliability, anxiety screening, Dutch adaptation
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Anxiety Disorders, Diagnosis, Differential, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Netherlands, Predictive Value of Tests, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychometrics, Surveys and Questionnaires, ROC Curve, Reproducibility of Results, Area Under Curve, Internet, Young Adult, Diagnostic Self Evaluation
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