About this worksheet
The GAD-7 asks about the last two weeks; this diary tracks the two weeks as they happen. Four columns for 14 days: day, rough daily total (0–21), loudest symptom, what was happening. Two reflection prompts at the bottom — what did the spike days have in common, what did the low days have in common. Retrospective 2-week recall is a known weakness of anxiety self-report; contemporaneous logging captures signal the standard administration loses. The diary also surfaces individual pattern (some clients spike on weekends, some on Mondays, some the day before travel), which changes clinical planning in ways a single GAD-7 score never does.
When to use it
- Generalized anxiety disorder — the diary reveals what drives spikes.
- Panic disorder — captures interictal anxiety the GAD-7 alone misses.
- Social anxiety — surfaces which social contexts spike and which don't.
- Measurement-based anxiety care alongside weekly GAD-7 administration.
- Functional-medicine and integrative practices tracking mind-body signal.
How to use it
- 1
Daily rough total, not exact GAD-7 re-administration
Full re-administration daily is overkill and creates measurement fatigue. A rough 0–21 estimate keeps the diary sustainable.
- 2
Name the loudest symptom
Restlessness, catastrophizing, muscle tension, sleep, irritability — the shape of the anxiety matters clinically.
- 3
One-line context
What was happening. Not analysis — just what was in the day. Analysis happens at week's end.
- 4
Read across the spike days and the low days
The common thread across spike days is often more clinically useful than the average.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GAD-7 free to use clinically?+
Yes — the GAD-7, like the PHQ-9, is in the public domain (Spitzer et al., 2006, released free for clinical and research use).
Won't daily tracking increase health anxiety?+
For most clients no — logging after the fact is different from monitoring for symptoms. In clients where tracking escalates the anxiety, pause the diary and address the meta-worry directly.
Is this worksheet free?+
Yes. Free printable PDF. Sign in to send as a secure client link.
Worksheet — GAD-7 Symptom Diary — provided by TherapistAssist for clinical use. Not a substitute for assessment or treatment.
