Abstract
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common but serious form of anxiety disorder. Despite this, the rate of GAD recognition in primary care remains low in both Western and Eastern countries. The GAD-7 and GAD-2 were developed to efficiently identify people with GAD, and their reliability and validity have been well-documented in Western countries. The GAD-7 and GAD-2 have also been widely utilized to screen for other anxiety disorders; however, their diagnostic utility has not been fully justified with empirical support, especially in East Asian samples. In this study, we examined the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of these screening tools for identifying individuals with GAD or other anxiety disorders, and recommended screening cutoff scores for GAD and other anxiety disorders for use in Korea. Based on the rigorous standard suggested by the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2, a total of 1,157 participants randomly recruited from the community completed the GAD-7, GAD-2, and other anxiety and depression measures in a counter-balanced order. All participants were assessed, and their psychiatric diagnosis confirmed through a structured clinical interview conducted by independent clinicians blinded to the results of the self-report questionnaires. The GAD-7 and GAD-2 both showed excellent reliability and validity. Notably, both the GAD-7 and GAD-2 demonstrated acceptable diagnostic accuracy in detecting GAD with similar recommended cut-off scores as those reported in Western countries, but unacceptable diagnostic accuracy for other anxiety disorders. We conclude that given their brevity, the GAD-7 and GAD-2 can be well-utilized to identify people with GAD for preventative evaluation and treatment in Korea. Use of the GAD-7 and GAD-2 for screening other anxiety disorders should be cautioned.
Highlights
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most common yet serious forms of anxiety disorder, characterized mainly by pervasive, uncontrollable, and long-lasting worries
This study was conducted to determine whether the GAD7 and GAD-2 were able to detect GAD and any anxiety disorder including GAD
The results suggested that the Korean versions of the GAD-7 and GAD-2 are reliable and valid measures for detecting GAD
Summary
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most common yet serious forms of anxiety disorder, characterized mainly by pervasive, uncontrollable, and long-lasting worries. GAD often follows a chronic course and deteriorates overall quality of life and subjective well-being [3,4,5]. Given the chronic nature and adverse functional outcomes of GAD, early diagnosis and Diagnostic Utility of GAD-7 and GAD-2 timely intervention are essential for individuals with GAD. Due to frequent comorbidities and the nature of the disease, which is accompanied by various physical symptoms, approximately half of individuals with GAD consulted their primary care physicians rather than mental health professionals when seeking treatment for anxiety symptoms [6]. A valid and reliable diagnostic tool for GAD in a brief format (i.e., a minimum number of questions) would facilitate early detection and proper timely intervention, in primary care institutions but in mental health settings as well
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
