Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ)
Worry & Generalized Anxiety Test
Table of Contents
Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) – Worry & Generalized Anxiety Test
A standardized assessment tool to measure excessive and uncontrollable worry, commonly used for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
The Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) is one of the most widely used tools for measuring excessive worry.
Originally developed in 1990 at Penn State University, it is designed to assess the severity and persistence of worry, making it especially useful in evaluating Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
Unlike general anxiety scales, the PSWQ focuses specifically on worry—how frequent, uncontrollable, and excessive it is. It helps differentiate between normal concerns and clinically significant worry that interferes with daily life.
📌 Key Features of the PSWQ:
✔ Scientifically Validated – Trusted in clinical and research settings worldwide.
✔ 16-Item Self-Report Test – Quick and easy to complete (takes 5-10 minutes).
✔ Designed for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – Measures uncontrollable and excessive worry.
✔ Tracks Treatment Progress – Used by therapists to monitor improvements over time.
History and Development of the PSWQ
The Origins of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ)
The PSWQ was developed in 1990 by researchers at Penn State University, including Thomas J. Meyer, Michael L. Miller, Robert L. Metzger, and Thomas D. Borkovec. Their goal was to create a standardized tool to measure pathological worry, a defining feature of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
At the time, anxiety research lacked a dedicated worry-specific scale. Most anxiety measures assessed general fear or physical symptoms, but worry—the constant, uncontrollable stream of anxious thoughts—was not directly measured. The PSWQ filled this gap by offering a focused assessment of how pervasive, excessive, and uncontrollable worry is in an individual’s life.
The Cognitive Foundations of the PSWQ
The PSWQ is based on cognitive-behavioral theories of anxiety, particularly research by Borkovec et al. (1983). These theories describe worry as:
✔ Verbal, repetitive, and abstract thinking focused on future negative events.
✔ Difficult to control, even when reassurance is given.
✔ A key process in maintaining Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
By measuring these characteristics, the PSWQ helps clinicians and researchers distinguish normal worry from the excessive, persistent worry seen in anxiety disorders.
Did You Know?
- The PSWQ was originally validated in clinical anxiety patients, university students, and non-anxious controls to ensure its accuracy across different groups.
- Since its introduction, the PSWQ has been translated into over 30 languages and remains a gold standard for assessing worry severity worldwide.
The Penn State Worry Questionnaire Scoring
How the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) is Structured
The PSWQ consists of 16 self-report items, each designed to assess the severity and frequency of worry in an individual’s daily life.
Each statement is rated on a 5-point Likert scale, where:
✔ 1 = Not at all typical of me
✔ 2 = Slightly typical of me
✔ 3 = Moderately typical of me
✔ 4 = Very typical of me
✔ 5 = Extremely typical of me
The higher the total score, the greater the level of uncontrollable worry.
Breaking Down the PSWQ’s Items
The questionnaire contains:
✔ 11 Items Measuring Pathological Worry
These items assess persistent, excessive, and uncontrollable worry (e.g., “I worry all the time.”).
✔ 5 Reverse-Scored Items Measuring Absence of Worry
These items capture the lack of worry tendencies (e.g., “I never worry about anything.”).
Since they are reverse-scored, a lower response actually indicates higher worry levels.
Total Scoring and Interpretation and Penn State Worry Questionnaire Cut Offs
The total PSWQ score ranges from 16 to 80, categorized as follows:
- Low Worry: 16-39 (Minimal worry, typically not problematic.)
- Moderate Worry: 40-59 (Significant but manageable worry.)
- High Worry: 60-80 (Severe, excessive worry—consistent with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.)
Did You Know?
Some research suggests the PSWQ has a two-factor structure, separating worry engagement (how much a person actively worries) from worry avoidance (efforts to suppress or control worry). However, most clinical applications still treat it as a single-factor measure.
Clinical Applications of the PSWQ
The Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) is widely used in clinical settings, research, and therapy to assess worry severity and monitor changes over time. While not a diagnostic tool, it plays a crucial role in identifying Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and distinguishing it from other anxiety-related conditions.
Screening for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
✔ Why it’s useful: The PSWQ is one of the most reliable tools for identifying chronic, excessive worry, a hallmark feature of GAD.
✔ How it helps: High scores (typically 60 or above) indicate a strong likelihood of GAD, prompting further clinical assessment.
✔ Distinguishing GAD from other disorders: Unlike general anxiety measures, the PSWQ specifically assesses pathological worry, differentiating it from panic disorder, social anxiety, or specific phobias.
Tracking Treatment Progress
✔ Pre-treatment assessment: Establishes a baseline level of worry before therapy begins.
✔ Ongoing monitoring: The PSWQ can be administered at regular intervals to measure improvements in worry-related symptoms.
✔ Validating treatment effectiveness: A significant reduction in PSWQ scores over time suggests therapy is working, while persistently high scores may indicate the need for treatment adjustments.
Supporting Therapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions
✔ Identifying excessive worry patterns: PSWQ scores help clinicians pinpoint individuals who experience intense, uncontrollable worry, guiding cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions.
✔ Targeting cognitive distortions: Many PSWQ items reflect catastrophic thinking and intolerance of uncertainty, which are key cognitive distortions treated in CBT for GAD.
✔ Providing structured feedback to clients: Patients can track their own progress, reinforcing therapeutic gains and helping them recognize improvements in their anxiety management.
Research and Clinical Trials
✔ The PSWQ is widely used in anxiety research, particularly in studies on GAD, excessive worry, and intolerance of uncertainty.
✔ It has been validated across multiple languages and cultural contexts, making it a standard tool in international research on anxiety disorders.
✔ Used to measure the effectiveness of interventions, including medications, mindfulness therapy, and CBT-based treatments for chronic worry.
Key Takeaway
The PSWQ is a valuable tool in clinical practice and research, helping to identify excessive worry, track changes over time, and guide treatment planning. However, it should always be used alongside a full clinical assessment to ensure accurate diagnosis and appropriate intervention.
Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) – Take the Test
Is Excessive Worry Affecting Your Life?
If your PSWQ score is high, you may be experiencing chronic worry that impacts your daily life, focus, and well-being. Worry can feel endless, but it doesn’t have to control you—evidence-based therapy can help you regain control and reduce persistent anxiety.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective treatments for chronic worry and GAD.
Therapy can help you develop tools to challenge unhelpful thinking patterns and reduce excessive worry.
Many people report significant improvements in their daily life, relationships, and sleep after treatment.
Explore More Anxiety Self-Assessments
✔ GAD-7 Anxiety Test – Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screening
✔ PDSS Panic Disorder Test – Panic Disorder Severity Scale
✔ SPIN Social Anxiety Test – Social Phobia Inventory
✔ OCI-R OCD Test – Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory
✔ SMSP-A Phobia Test – Severity Measure for Specific Phobia – Adult
✔ SHAI Health Anxiety Test – Short Health Anxiety Inventory
✔ PSWQ Anxiety Test – Penn State Worry Questionnaire
Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) – References
Meyer, T. J., Miller, M. L., Metzger, R. L., & Borkovec, T. D. (1990).
Development and validation of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 28(6), 487–495.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(90)90135-6
Summary: This seminal study introduced the PSWQ as a standardized measure of worry severity. It established the scale’s internal consistency (α = 0.93), test-retest reliability, and ability to differentiate GAD from other anxiety disorders. The PSWQ was designed to assess uncontrollable, excessive worry, the hallmark feature of GAD.
Brown, T. A., Antony, M. M., & Barlow, D. H. (1992).
Psychometric properties of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire in a clinical anxiety disorders sample. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 30(1), 33–37.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(92)90093-V
Summary: This study validated the PSWQ in clinical anxiety samples, confirming its unidimensional structure (worry as a single factor). The research also supported the PSWQ’s strong discriminant validity, as it reliably distinguished individuals with GAD from those with other anxiety disorders.
Fresco, D. M., Mennin, D. S., Heimberg, R. G., & Turk, C. L. (2003).
Using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire to identify individuals with generalized anxiety disorder: A receiver operating characteristic analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 41(9), 1155–1173.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(02)00223-3
Summary: This study examined cut-off scores for identifying GAD using the PSWQ. It determined that a cutoff of ~62 was optimal for distinguishing individuals with clinically significant worry. The ROC analysis demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity, confirming the PSWQ as a strong screening tool for GAD.
Korte, K. J., Allan, N. P., & Schmidt, N. B. (2016).
A factor mixture modeling approach to the Penn State Worry Questionnaire: Distinguishing worry severity from distress. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 37, 40–47.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2015.10.007
Summary: This study challenged the traditional single-factor model, proposing a three-class structure: low worry (<43), moderate-high worry (43–54), and high worry (>54). These findings suggest that while the PSWQ remains a valid general measure of worry, subgroups within the scoring range may represent different severities of pathological worry.
Stöber, J. (1998).
The Penn State Worry Questionnaire: Psychometric properties in an adolescent sample. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 20(3), 247–257.
https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025354815476
Summary: This study tested the PSWQ in adolescents, finding high internal consistency and validity. It suggested that youths with excessive worry score similarly to adults, supporting the PSWQ’s use in younger populations for identifying early signs of GAD.
Startup, H. M., Erickson, T. M., & Blankstein, K. R. (2010).
Assessing worry in older adults: Psychometric properties of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire in elderly populations. Aging & Mental Health, 14(1), 15–22.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13607860903228711
Summary: This study validated the PSWQ for older adults, noting that worry patterns may differ in later life. It supported the use of a modified PSWQ-A (abbreviated version) for geriatric assessment, especially in those with cognitive decline.
