Scale Overview
The Hospital Fears Rating Scale – HFRS was developed by Barbara G. Melamed & Mark A. Lumley (1990). It is designed to measure Medical and hospital fears. The scale is intended for use with Children and adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 25 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Medical fear, Hospital fear, Non-medically related.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Medical fear |
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 |
8 |
| Hospital fear |
9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16 |
8 |
| Non-medically related |
17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25 |
9 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not afraid, 2 = A little fear, 3 = Some fear, 4 = Moderate fear, 5 = Very afraid.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 25 to 125. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low fear: 25 – 50
- Moderate fear: 51 – 75
- High fear: 76 – 100
- Very high fear: 101 – 125
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.