Health Anxiety (SHAI)

What the SHAI measures

Health anxiety is a cognitive-behavioral feedback loop. The individual misinterprets normal, benign physiological sensations (e.g., a headache, a muscle twitch) as evidence of a catastrophic illness (e.g., a brain tumor, ALS). This triggers severe anxiety, which produces actual physiological symptoms (racing heart, shortness of breath), which the individual then takes as further proof they are dying. Reassurance from doctors only provides temporary relief before the cycle restarts.

The dimensions it assesses

• Factor 1: Illness Likelihood (Worry/Preoccupation): The obsessive checking of the body, Googling symptoms, and the deep belief that one is currently sick.
• Factor 2: Negative Consequences: The catastrophic belief about what having an illness would mean (e.g., "If I get sick, it will destroy my family and I will suffer endlessly").

What to do with your result

1. The "Cyberchondria" Intervention: For users scoring above 18, the immediate behavioral prescription must be a strict ban on Googling symptoms (WebMD, Reddit medical forums). Searching for symptoms is a compulsion that provides a 5-minute hit of reassurance followed by days of heightened anxiety.
2. Body Checking Compulsion: High scorers physically poke, prod, and check their bodies (e.g., checking lymph nodes) constantly. This constant prodding causes physical inflammation, which the user then interprets as the disease worsening. They must be taught Response Prevention (stopping the physical check).
3. Medical System Abuse: Users with severe Health Anxiety often undergo unnecessary CT scans, MRIs, and blood panels. The report should advise them to establish a relationship with one primary care doctor and stop "doctor shopping" for a diagnosis that does not exist.

Common questions about the SHAI

What does the SHAI measure?

Measurement of Health Anxiety (Hypochondriasis): the obsessive, debilitating fear of having or acquiring a serious illness despite medical reassurance.

Can the SHAI diagnose me?

No. Health Anxiety (SHAI) is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnostic tool. It can flag that something may need a closer look. It cannot tell you what is causing it. Grief, burnout, a thyroid problem, medication side effects, chronic pain and months of bad sleep are not among its questions, and any of them can move a score. Telling those apart is what a professional assessment is for.

Is this SHAI test really free?

Yes. No account, no email address, no payment. Psychometrics Today is funded by donations rather than advertising, which is also what allows us to publish instruments whose authors permit free but non-commercial use.

Are my answers stored or shared?

No. Your answers are scored inside your browser and never sent to us. There is no database of responses, because we never receive any. Closing the tab erases them, which is why results cannot be recovered afterwards.

How often should I retake the SHAI?

Most of these questionnaires ask about the past one to two weeks, so retaking sooner than that mostly measures the same period twice. Every two to four weeks is a reasonable rhythm if you are tracking change. A direction of travel over several weeks tells a doctor far more than any single score.

How accurate is the SHAI?

Screening questionnaires are good at flagging that something merits attention and poor at establishing what it is. This one is sensitive to how you feel on the day you take it, and many instruments were validated on narrow populations whose cut-offs may not transfer cleanly to everyone. The references at the foot of this page are the primary sources.