Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI)
Measures health anxiety, hypochondriasis, and perceived negative consequences of becoming seriously ill.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI) was developed by Paul M. Salkovskis, Hilary M. C. Rimes, Elizabeth M. Warwick, David M. Clark (2002). It is designed to measure Health Anxiety. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 18 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Core Health Anxiety, Negative Consequences of Illness.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Core Health Anxiety | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 | 14 |
| Negative Consequences of Illness | 15,16,17,18 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Statement (a), 1 = Statement (b), 2 = Statement (c), 3 = Statement (d).
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 54. Interpretation guidelines:
- Normal/Low Health Anxiety: 0 – 17
- Elevated Health Anxiety (Clinical Cutoff is typically 18 or 20 on the Core scale): 18 – 54
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha 0.86 – 0.95.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.