Screening for anxiety in adolescents: Validation of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment-7 in a representative sample of adolescents

Symptoms of emotional disorders, such as those related to anxiety disorders, are one of the main challenges for the young population. This study validated the Spanish Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment-7 (GAD-7) scores in a representative sample of adolescents. A total of 2235 students (M = 14.49 years; SD = 1.76; 52.9 % women), selected by stratified random sampling from 34 schools, participated in the survey. The unidimensional model of the GAD-7 showed adequate goodness-of-fit indices. Scalar measurement invariance was found by gender and age. The reliability of the total score was 0.90. The GAD-7 was positively associated with symptoms of depression, negative affect, and emotional and behavioral problems, and negatively associated with positive affect and quality of life. First, although the sample is large and representative, it is important to note that it belongs to a specific Spanish autonomous community (La Rioja), which may limit the generalizability of the results. Second, self-reports were used to assess all psychological indicators, with their known limitations. Third, the cross-sectional nature of this study means that it is impossible to draw conclusions about causal relationships. The GAD-7 is a brief, easy, and reliable tool for assessing self-reported anxiety symptoms in educational contexts. The GAD-7 can be used as a screening tool for early detection and monitoring of anxiety symptoms during adolescence. •Emotional disorders and symptoms constitute one of the major public health challenges among youths.•Routine screening has the potential to improve the early and reliable identification of anxiety symptoms.•GAD-7 scores showed adequate psychometric properties among adolescents from the general population•GAD-7 is a useful tool for assessing anxiety symptoms in young people.