ILLNESS ATTITUDES QUESTIONNAIRE
This questionnaire lists different attitudes or beliefs which people sometimes hold. Read EACH statement carefully and decide how much you agree or disagree with each statement.
For each of the attitudes‚ show your answer by putting a circle round the words which BEST DESCRIBE HOW YOU THINK. Be sure to choose only one answer for each attitude. Because people are different‚ there is no right or wrong answer to these statements.
To decide whether a given attitude is typical of your way of looking at things‚ simply keep in mind what you are like MOST OF THE TIME.
If medication doesn’t take away a symptom then I must have a serious illness.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
If I experience an unexpected physical symptom I must be ill.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
If I can’t control anxiety perfectly I am a failure.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
Bodily changes are always a sign that something is wrong.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
Anxiety can kill.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
If I don’t worry about my health‚ something will go wrong.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
Doctor’s often miss serious illnesses.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
Detailed tests· are the only way to really rule out an illness.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
There is only so much anxiety my heart can take.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
The commonest cause of feeling unwell is serious illness.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
The commonest cause of feeling unwell is serious illness.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
If the doctor sends me for any tests‚ he is convinced that there is something wrong.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
If your symptoms come and go‚ a test can only be accurate if done when the symptoms are present.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
having symptoms means I am weak‚ defective‚ flawed or inferior.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
Real symptoms mm be produced by anxiety.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
If I don’t keep a careful watch on my health something terrible will happen.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
There is only so much anxiety that my mind can take.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
It is possible to know. With absolute certainty‚ that you are not ill.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
If I am not perfectly calm I am in danger of losing control.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
Once anxiety starts to build up you can’t stop it getting worse.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
I or my doctor must be able to find an explanation for any physical symptom.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
If you don’t control your thoughts you might go mad.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
Both sides of the body should be identical.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
Parts of my body are weak.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
My family is prone to Illness.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
If I let myself think that I am well. I will tempt fate.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
I am more likely than most people to get an illness.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
Cancer is curable.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
I deserve to get III.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
I have no control over my health.
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
I must look after my health or I will be a burden to my family •
TOTALLY AGREE | AGREE VERY MUCH | AGREE SLIGHTLY | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE SLIGHTLY | DISAGREE VERY MUCH | TOTALLY DISAGREE |
The Health Anxiety Inventory
This was described and published in Psychological Medicine in 2002. Reference – Salkovskis‚ P.M.‚ Rimes‚ K.A.‚ Warwick‚ H.M.C. & Clark‚ D.M (2002) The Health Anxiety Inventory: development and validation of scales for the measurement of health anxiety and hypochondriasis. Psychological Medicine‚ Vol. 32‚ 843-853.
There are two referents; these are referred to here as the “week” and “month” versions. The month versions are used as screening instruments and ask for ratings of how the person has been over the last six months. This period is chosen because six months is the period used by DSM-IV for the diagnosis of hypochondriasis.
There are four sections in the health anxiety inventory. The main section is composed of symptoms of health anxiety (hypochondriasis). The second section comprises questions about people’s attitudes to how awful it would be if they were to develop a particular illness. This is scored separately and is regarded as a treatment process measure. Ratings of avoidance and reassurance seeking are also included. The Health Anxiety Inventory main section is scored on a 0 – 3 basis and the section total is used. For the short version this is the first 14 questions. Four questions regarding awfulness are then totalled separately. Reassurance and avoidance seeking are simply totalled but the “other” items in each is not included in the total.
The short version is the version most commonly used for clinical purposes with the long version being for specific research purposes with subscales being available. The “week” version is‚ of course‚ more sensitive to treatment changes and is used as a treatment outcome measure.
HAI Short Week (PDF 580 kb)
HAI Long Week (PDF 1.53 mb)
HAI Short Month (PDF 577 kb)
HAI Long Month (PDF 1.53 mb)
Beliefs Questionnaire (PDF 45 kb)
RCQ (PDF 276 kb)
Illness Attitudes Questionnaire (PDF 158 kb)
For further information on Health Anxiety please visit the Health Anxiety‚ Pain‚ and Insomnia (HAPI) website.
Cite this article
mohammad looti (2026). ILLNESS ATTITUDES QUESTIONNAIRE. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/illness-attitudes-questionnaire/
mohammad looti. "ILLNESS ATTITUDES QUESTIONNAIRE." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 28 Apr. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/illness-attitudes-questionnaire/.
mohammad looti. "ILLNESS ATTITUDES QUESTIONNAIRE." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/illness-attitudes-questionnaire/.
mohammad looti (2026) 'ILLNESS ATTITUDES QUESTIONNAIRE', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/illness-attitudes-questionnaire/.
[1] mohammad looti, "ILLNESS ATTITUDES QUESTIONNAIRE," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2026.
mohammad looti. ILLNESS ATTITUDES QUESTIONNAIRE. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.