Diagnosis of an anxiety disorder¹

Your doctor will check your physical health and look for signs and symptoms of an underlying medical condition – to decide whether these may be causing your anxiety.¹

To help diagnose an anxiety disorder, your doctor may give you a psychological evaluation. This involves discussing your thoughts, feelings and behaviour to help refine the diagnosis and check for related complications e.g. other mental health problems like depression or substance misuse.¹

To assess if you may be suffering from generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) your doctor will ask you about the frequency (how often), description (character) and severity of your symptoms.² Learn more about anxiety

Questions that your doctor may ask about your anxiety symptoms include²:

• Does your anxiety concern every day or routine circumstances or events (e.g. job responsibility, yours or a family member’s health, finances, or other tasks like housework)?

• Is your anxiety difficult to control?

• Do you also have symptoms like restlessness, concentration problems, irritability, tension, or extreme tiredness (fatigue)?

• Have your symptoms been present for more than six (6) months?

• Are your symptoms present more days than not

• Do your symptoms cause significant distress to you, or does it negatively affect (impair) your social life/work?

Your doctor may ask you to complete a questionnaire like the Generalised Anxiety Disorder seven-item (GAD-7) scale to help them refine your diagnosis, monitor your symptoms and check if you are responding to treatment or not.²

1. Diagnosis & treatment. Anxiety disorders. 04 May 2018. Mayo clinic. Available online at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350967. [Accessed 05 October 2022].

2.  Baldwin D. Generalized anxiety disorder in adults: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, course, assessment, and diagnosis. 18 April 2022. UpToDate. Available online at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/generalized-anxiety-disorder-in-adults-epidemiology-pathogenesis-clinical-manifestations-course-assessment-and-diagnosis. [Accessed 05 October 2022].

3.  Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JBW, et al. A Brief Measure for Assessing Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The GAD-7. Arch Intern Med 2006;166:1092-1097.