Situational fears (IAPT)
Situations you avoid because of fear. Answer the app’s questionnaire and see your result right away.
Source · NHS Talking Therapies phobia scales: three areas based on Marks IM, Mathews AM. Brief standard self-rating for phobic patients. Behav Res Ther. 1979;17(3):263–267. CareOps English translation of its existing Korean questionnaire. Wording, response choices and descriptive score ranges follow the CareOps version and have not been independently validated in English. CareOps adaptation of three IAPT phobia areas, using five response values (0, 2, 4, 6, 8).
Phobia check: what you avoid and how much
This check is based on the three phobia areas used by NHS Talking Therapies (formerly IAPT), which draw on a self-rating for phobic patients published by Marks and Mathews in 1979. It asks how much you currently avoid, because of fear, social situations or being the focus of attention; specific objects or situations such as heights, animals, blood, needles or flying; and activities that bring panic-like body sensations or places that are hard to get out of. This English page translates the CareOps Korean adaptation, uses five response values (0, 2, 4, 6, 8) and has not been independently validated in English.
Reading your results
Each question scores 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8, for a total of 0–24. The result screen shows 0–5 as lower avoidance, 6–11 as moderate avoidance and 12–24 as higher avoidance. Because each question covers a different kind of fear, which one is high tells you more than the total. A diagnosis is made in a clinical conversation. If avoidance is keeping you from things you need, like commuting, medical appointments or travel, consider talking with a professional.
A question to reflect on
For the area you rated highest, list five situations you avoid, from easiest to hardest. Consider whether you could try the easiest one briefly this week.
Frequently asked questions
- How many questions are in Situational fears (IAPT), and how long does it take?
- There are 3 questions, and it usually takes about 1 minute. For each question you choose one of 5 answers, from “Never avoid” to “Always avoid”. There are no right or wrong answers.
- Is every fear a phobia?
- Being scared of heights or insects is common. This check looks at how much fear leads you to avoid things, which matters most once avoidance starts to narrow your life.
- What does each of the three questions cover?
- The first covers social situations and being watched, the second specific things like heights, animals or needles, and the third panic-like body sensations or places that are hard to leave.
- I scored low because I never face those situations.
- If you simply had no reason to meet them, the score can be low. Answering with whether you would avoid them if they came up gives a truer picture.
- Do I need to sign in? Are my answers saved?
- You can see your results right away without signing in. Your answers are used only for scoring and are not stored on our servers.
- Can I bring these results into a counseling session?
- Use the analysis button at the bottom of the result screen to have a short conversation with Maeumi without signing in. After the conversation, you can continue in the app. The web conversation does not transfer automatically to the app.
- Can I share my results with a friend?
- Yes. Use Share at the top right of the result screen to send a friend the check itself, or share your result as a link or story image. A result link carries your scores inside the address only; it does not include your name or account, and nothing is saved on our side.
Marks & Mathews (1979) · phobic self-rating