Introduction:
The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) is a clinically validated questionnaire comprising 21 common anxiety symptoms. By rating how strongly each symptom bothered you over the previous week, the inventory converts subjective feelings into an objective numeric score that reflects overall anxiety intensity. Healthcare providers and researchers use the BAI to screen for anxiety severity, monitor treatment progress, and support referral decisions.
Each item is scored 0–3, yielding a total between 0 and 63. Discrete severity bands—normal (0–7), mild (8–15), moderate (16–25) and severe (26–63)—provide an immediate interpretation. This implementation runs entirely in your browser, instantly updates progress, and visualises the outcome with a colour-coded gauge for quick comprehension, while letting you review every answer before saving or printing a summary report.
Use this tool when you want a rapid yet structured snapshot of anxiety to share with a counsellor, therapist, or support network, or to monitor the impact of relaxation strategies over time; results can highlight trends, prompt earlier conversations about stressors, and support evidence-based self-care plans. Avoid making major treatment decisions based solely on the numeric score—always seek qualified guidance.
This screening tool does not diagnose mental disorders. If anxiety disrupts your life, contact a licensed health-care professional.
Technical Details:
The inventory quantifies anxiety by summing ordinal ratings (0–3) for 21 symptom statements, producing a raw total between 0 and 63. Severity bands are derived by mapping the total to empirically validated cut-off ranges.
Each response option represents the degree of distress experienced during the reference week, allowing the calculation to distinguish between mild discomfort and debilitating anxiety.
- 0 — Symptom absent
- 1 — Mild, minimal bother
- 2 — Moderate, noticeable distress
- 3 — Severe, intolerable distress
| Total | Severity Band |
|---|---|
| 0–7 | Normal |
| 8–15 | Mild |
| 16–25 | Moderate |
| 26–63 | Severe |
Your answers stay within the browser; no data is transmitted or stored remotely, ensuring privacy and offline availability.
Calculations & Scoring:
This section shows how the total score and severity band are derived.
Total Score & Band Assignment
The raw total represents overall symptom severity.
Compare the total with predefined ranges to classify anxiety severity.
Final Result
A total score of 18 falls within the Moderate band.
Step-by-Step Guide:
Follow these steps to complete the inventory and interpret your result.
- Click the Start Assessment button to display the first question.
- For each item, choose one radio option such as Severely — I could barely stand it that best matches your experience.
- Use the question list on the right to jump back and edit any response.
- Watch the progress bar update until it reaches 100%.
- After the last answer, read the coloured badge showing your total and severity band.
- Print or save the answer summary for discussion with a professional.
FAQ:
Common questions about using this Beck Anxiety Inventory implementation.
Is my data stored?
No. Responses remain in your browser’s memory. Nothing is sent to servers or analytics providers, and reloading the page clears the answers unless you save the shareable link manually.
What does my score mean?
The total indicates the intensity of anxiety symptoms during the past week. Scores up to 7 are typical, while higher bands suggest increasing levels of distress that may warrant professional attention.
Who can use the inventory?
Adults aged 17 years and above may self-administer the BAI. Clinicians often deploy it in primary care and mental-health settings, but it is equally suitable for personal self-monitoring.
How often should I retake it?
Retest intervals of two weeks or more are common in research. Frequent retakes can inflate familiarity and reduce sensitivity, so align frequency with your monitoring goals or therapist’s advice.
What if I score in the severe band?
A severe result indicates high anxiety and potential impairment. Seek prompt evaluation from a qualified mental-health professional who can provide a comprehensive assessment and evidence-based treatment options.
Troubleshooting:
Resolve the most common issues quickly.
- The questionnaire will not start — ensure JavaScript is enabled in your browser.
- Progress bar is stuck — verify that every question has exactly one selected option.
- Chart does not appear — resize the window or disable browser extensions that block canvases.
- Results badge shows a dash — at least one question remains unanswered.
- Printing cuts off the chart — switch to landscape orientation and enable background graphics in the print dialog.
Advanced Tips:
Fine-tune your experience with these expert suggestions.
- Use a private browsing window when completing the assessment on a shared computer.
- Bookmark the generated link to compare scores across different dates.
- Combine results with a mood diary to identify symptom triggers.
- Schedule periodic reminders to retake the inventory and track progress.
- Discuss changes in individual item scores, not just the total, with your therapist.
Glossary:
Key terms used in this assessment.
- Anxiety
- Persistent worry, fear, or unease disproportionate to actual circumstances.
- Ordinal Scale
- Rating system where values have a meaningful order but unequal intervals.
- Severity Band
- Categorical label indicating the level of symptom intensity.
- Gauge Chart
- Dial-like visual summarising the total score relative to the maximum possible.
- Self-Report
- Measurement based on an individual’s subjective description of experience.