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Fear of Personal Death Scale (FPDS)

Fear of Personal Death Scale (FPDS) Test

Understand which parts of death feel most threatening in just 4 minutes. With 21 items, it maps personal, relationship, and beyond-life concerns to guide focused support.

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Questions: 214 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

22,784 views

1,464 completions

1,170 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

4/7

Consequences for the Self (CftS)

Measures anxiety about death as a threat to personal identity, unique abilities, and self-integrity.

Low concern

Moderate concern

High concern

1 – 3.2: Low concern | 3.3 – 6: Moderate concern | 6.1 – 7: High concern

A score of 4 indicates a moderate level of concern about death undermining individuality and the continuity of the self.

example score

5/7

Transcendent Consequences (TC)

Measures fear of the unknown or existential consequences that may follow after death.

Low

Moderate

High

1 – 2.1: Low | 2.2 – 5.5: Moderate | 5.6 – 7: High

A score of 5 indicates a moderate level of concern about transcendent or existential unknowns related to death.

example score

4/7

Fear of Being Forgotten (FoBF)

Measures worry about being forgotten or having one’s death go unnoticed by others.

Low

Moderate

1 – 3.5: Low | 3.6 – 7: Moderate

A score of 4 indicates a moderate level of concern about being forgotten or overlooked after death.

example score

6/7

Impact on Loved Ones (IoLO)

Measures anxiety that one’s death will cause distress for close relatives and leave loved ones needing them.

Low concern

Moderate concern

High concern

1 – 3.6: Low concern | 3.7 – 6.4: Moderate concern | 6.5 – 7: High concern

A score of 6 indicates a moderate level of concern about the impact of one’s death on loved ones, suggesting this theme is a noticeable source of interpersonal death-related anxiety.

example score

3/7

Consequences for the Body (CftB)

Measures anxiety about the physical consequences of dying, including bodily decline and decomposition.

Low concern

High concern

1 – 3.8: Low concern | 3.9 – 7: High concern

A score of 3 indicates relatively low anxiety about the physical aspects of death compared with higher scores on this scale.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Anxiety and Health Worriers

41%OF USERS

People dealing with anxiety, panic, or health fears take it to pinpoint whether their death-related worries are about the self, loved ones, or what comes after.

Grief and Life Transitions

34%OF USERS

Those facing bereavement, serious illness, aging, or major life changes use it to clarify what feels most threatening about mortality right now.

Therapy and Research Clients

25%OF USERS

Clients in counseling or participants in studies take it to help a psychologist map the structure of their death fears and guide support.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale are translated into plain, usable insights. You won’t just get numbers — you’ll learn how your results impact your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how your results compare to others. Anonymized platform data is used to create a percentile scale, which identifies whether your results are typical.

Practical
Recommendations

You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Powered
Insights

Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.

Discuss with
an AI Therapist

Clarify, reflect, and explore your results right away. Talk through your experience, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue.

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Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Consequences for the Individual (CftI)

Average

4.3

Normal range

3.4 — 5.1

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Transcendent consequences (Tc)

Average

2.9

Normal range

1.9 — 3.9

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Fear of Oblivion (FoO)

Average

4.3

Normal range

3.5 — 5.1

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Consequences for Loved Ones (CfLO)

Average

3.2

Normal range

2.3 — 4

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Consequences for the body (Cftb)

Average

3.8

Normal range

2.8 — 4.8

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It measures concerns and anxiety related to one’s own death. It organizes responses across personal, interpersonal, and suprapersonal themes.

What topics are included in the items?

Items cover fears related to loss of self and body, being forgotten or leaving loved ones at risk, and beliefs about what may happen after death. The focus is on what is feared and where that fear is located.

How long does it take to complete and how many items are there?

Completion typically takes about 4 minutes. The questionnaire contains 21 items.

How should responses be selected?

Select the option that best matches current thoughts and feelings. Respond to each item without overthinking or trying to be consistent across items.

How are results interpreted?

Scores indicate which themes contribute most to death-related anxiety. Results support discussion of vulnerabilities and possible targets for intervention, but they are not a diagnosis.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Fear of Personal Death Scale (FPDS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

existential psychology attitude toward death

This self-report measure assesses concerns related to personal death and the meaning individuals attribute to death-related themes. The Fear of Personal Death Scale (FPDS) is designed to differentiate domains of fear that may be relevant in clinical and research contexts.

Items sample personal, interpersonal, and transpersonal concerns, such as apprehension about loss of self, impact on close relationships, and beliefs about what may occur after death. The instrument includes 21 items and typically takes about 4 minutes to complete.

The Fear of Personal Death Scale (FPDS) was developed by Robert A. Neimeyer and may be used to support case formulation or research by clarifying the content areas most salient to an individual’s death-related anxiety.

Author: paul-t-p-wong, Robert A. Neimeyer

Literature: Neimeyer, R. A. Death anxiety handbook: Research, instrumentation, and application. Taylor & Francis. 1994.; Wong, P. T. P., Reker, G. T., & Gesser, G. Death attitude profile-revised: A multidimensional measure of attitudes toward death. In R. A. Neimeyer (Ed.), Death anxiety handbook: Research, instrumentation, and application. Taylor & Francis. 1994.; Florian, V., & Kravetz, S. Fear of personal death: Attribution, structure, and relation to religious belief. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1983.

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