To diagnose for an anxiety disorder a clinician needs a broad spectrum of information, including your present state, family history, etc. Many tests have been developed to assess the following information:

• Your symptoms will be measured to see if they meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder.

• Are you exhibiting avoidance behavior and, if so, the degree of severity.

• What is the level of your disability in functioning in everyday life?

• Is there a history of anxiety and panic from childhood or in your family?

• Have you experienced significant stressors or traumatic life events?

• Your responses will help the clinician distinguish the kind of anxiety you experience to plan an effective treatment program.

• An evaluation of your coping skills will be done.

• An assessment of the amount of stress you are under will be done to determine if you are at high risk for an anxiety disorder.

• The test will look for other conditions and disorders, for example, depression and substance abuse.

Some health care providers may also administer personality test like the MMPI. Sometimes a test or measurement is given at the beginning of treatment, repeated during treatment to see what progress is being made, and given a third time when treatment is ending. The differences are valuable for the clinician and for the client to see how far he or she has come.