Home1
Psychological tests2
Attitudes Toward Illness Questionnaire3

Attitudes Toward Illness Questionnaire Test

For a structured look at illness-related responses, the Attitudes Toward Illness Questionnaire Test takes about 27 minutes and includes 12 questions. It explores emotional and behavioral reactions to illness, treatment, healthcare professionals, close relationships, work, and the future, helping you reflect on your characteristic attitudes and understand your result profile.

Questions: 1227 minutes

Attitudes Toward Illness Questionnaire: situation and reply bubbles

October 2, 2025October 2, 2025Material has been updatedOctober 2, 2025Material has been published

23,036 views

2,161 completion

1,856 likes

Daniel Hall Psychologist · Test reviewer

1,856 likes

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

ParanoidP

Measures the degree of suspiciousness and tendency to attribute illness-related problems to others’ mistakes or malicious intent.

example score21/27

21/27Moderateexample score

0 – 15Low

16 – 22Moderate

23 – 27High

A score of 21 falls in the Moderate range, indicating a noticeable tendency to mistrust others’ intentions and to blame medical staff or close ones for illness-related difficulties.

EgocentricE

Measures the extent to which a person seeks attention or special treatment by emphasizing suffering and the uniqueness of their illness.

example score20/27

20/27Moderateexample score

0 – 15Low

16 – 22Moderate

23 – 27High

A score of 20 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable tendency to highlight illness-related experiences to gain attention or preferential consideration, though not at the most pronounced level.

Sensitive (S)S

Measures how strongly a person is emotionally sensitive and concerned about others’ opinions regarding their illness.

example score20/27

20/27Moderateexample score

0 – 15Low

16 – 22Moderate

23 – 27High

A score of 20 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting noticeable sensitivity and concern about how the illness is perceived by others, though not at the most pronounced level.

Dysphoric (D)D

Measures the tendency to respond to illness with irritability, aggression, and suspicious or blaming attitudes toward treatment and others.

example score23/27

23/27Highexample score

0 – 14Low

15 – 22Elevated

23 – 27High

A score of 23 falls in the High range, suggesting pronounced dysphoric reactions such as irritability, bitterness, and suspicion that may color interactions around illness and care.

Apathetic (A)A

Measures the degree of indifferent, detached attitude toward illness, with passive compliance and reduced engagement in treatment and life events.

example score22/27

22/27Moderateexample score

0 – 14Low

15 – 22Moderate

23 – 27High

A score of 22 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting notable apathy with limited interest in the illness and a tendency toward passive participation in care.

Melancholic (M)M

Measures the degree of depressive, pessimistic feelings and hopelessness in a person’s attitude toward their illness and future.

example score12/27

12/27Lowexample score

0 – 14Low

15 – 22Moderate

23 – 27High

A score of 12 falls in the Low range, indicating relatively few melancholic features such as pessimism or hopelessness in the current attitude toward illness.

Neurasthenic (N)N

Assesses the degree of irritability, impatience, and mood instability related to experiencing illness and treatment interactions.

example score4/27

4/27Lowexample score

0 – 14Low

15 – 22Moderate

23 – 27High

A score of 4 falls in the Low range, suggesting minimal neurasthenic features such as illness-related irritability or impatience.

HypochondriacalH

Measures the degree of preoccupation with bodily sensations and fear of having a serious illness, including symptom exaggeration and persistent reassurance-seeking.

example score23/27

23/27Highexample score

0 – 15Low

16 – 22Elevated

23 – 27High

A score of 23 falls in the High range, indicating a pronounced focus on symptoms and strong health-related worry that may be difficult to relieve with reassurance.

Anxious (T)A

Measures the degree of worry, fear of consequences, and heightened attention to information and treatment related to one’s illness.

example score17/27

17/27Moderate anxietyexample score

0 – 14Low anxiety

15 – 22Moderate anxiety

23 – 27High anxiety

A score of 17 falls in the Moderate anxiety range, suggesting noticeable worry about the illness and its outcomes with a tendency to seek reassurance or additional information.

Anosognosic Type (Z)AT

Measures the tendency to deny, minimize, or ignore an illness and its potential consequences.

example score17/27

17/27Moderate denialexample score

0 – 14Low denial

15 – 22Moderate denial

23 – 27High denial

A score of 17 falls in the Moderate denial range, suggesting a noticeable tendency to downplay or disregard aspects of the illness in thoughts and emotions.

ErgopathicE

Measures the tendency to cope with illness by prioritizing work and maintaining professional/social roles, sometimes minimizing symptoms and treatment constraints.

example score24/27

24/27Highexample score

0 – 15Low

16 – 22Moderate

23 – 27High

A score of 24 falls in the High range, suggesting a strong focus on staying productive and preserving status, with possible downplaying of illness-related limitations.

Harmonious (H)H

Assesses how realistically and constructively a person relates to their illness and engages with treatment while maintaining everyday functioning.

example score2/27

2/27Low harmonious attitudeexample score

0 – 14Low harmonious attitude

15 – 22Moderate harmonious attitude

23 – 27High harmonious attitude

A score of 2 indicates a low harmonious attitude, suggesting limited presence of a calm, realistic, and actively cooperative approach to the illness in this profile.

just completed the test

DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Chronic condition patients

41%OF USERS

People living with long-term illnesses who want to understand whether they cope calmly, anxiously, or through avoidance and how that may affect treatment.

Recently diagnosed patients

34%OF USERS

People processing a new diagnosis who want to clarify their emotional reaction and readiness to follow medical recommendations.

Clinicians screening attitudes

25%OF USERS

Doctors and nurses using a quick tool to identify a patient’s typical response to illness and tailor communication and support.

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

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.

Shaded area — where most people score

Dot — the average

You — your score lands on each curve after the test— your score, after the test

Paranoid (P)

You?

Average9

Typical rangeTypical5.1 – 12.9

Possible0 – 27

Egocentric (E)

You?

Average10.4

Typical rangeTypical6.2 – 14.5

Possible0 – 27

Sensitive (S)

You?

Average9.9

Typical rangeTypical5.7 – 14

Possible0 – 27

Dysphoric (D)

You?

Average15.9

Typical rangeTypical12.2 – 19.6

Possible0 – 27

Apathetic (A)

You?

Average8.3

Typical rangeTypical4.4 – 12.2

Possible0 – 27

Melancholic (M)

You?

Average15.9

Typical rangeTypical12.4 – 19.5

Possible0 – 27

Neurasthenic (N)

You?

Average17.2

Typical rangeTypical12.6 – 21.7

Possible0 – 27

Hypochondriac (H)

You?

Average14.9

Typical rangeTypical10.5 – 19.2

Possible0 – 27

Anxious (A)

You?

Average9.5

Typical rangeTypical5.2 – 13.8

Possible0 – 27

Anosognosic (A)

You?

Average12

Typical rangeTypical7.4 – 16.7

Possible0 – 27

Ergopathic (R)

You?

Average19.2

Typical rangeTypical15.1 – 23.3

Possible0 – 27

Harmonious (H)

You?

Average18

Typical rangeTypical13.6 – 22.5

Possible0 – 27

Featured On

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

Below is a series of statements concerning your illness, your well-being, and certain aspects of life in general. Please indicate the statements you consider true for you. In each section, you may select no more than two statements.

- Since I became ill, I have felt unwell almost all the time.
- I feel energetic and full of strength almost all the time.
- I try to overcome feeling unwell.
- I try not to show others when I feel unwell.
- I almost always have some kind of pain.
- I feel unwell after upsetting events.
- I start to feel unwell when I am expecting trouble.
- I try to endure pain and physical suffering patiently.
- My well-being is quite satisfactory.
- Since I became ill, I have had periods of feeling unwell with irritability and a feeling of sadness.
- My well-being depends greatly on how other people treat me.
- None of these statements applies to me.
- As a rule, my mood is very good.
- Because of my illness, I am often impatient and irritable.
- My mood worsens because I anticipate possible troubles, worry about loved ones, and feel uncertain about the future.
- Because of my illness, I do not allow myself to give in to despondency or sadness.
- Because of my illness, I almost always feel in a bad mood.
- My low mood depends on how unwell I feel.
- My mood has become completely indifferent.
- I have bouts of dark irritability during which people around me get the brunt of it.
- I do not feel despondent or sad, but I may feel hardened and angry.
- Even minor troubles upset me a great deal.
- Because of my illness, I feel anxious all the time.
- None of these statements applies to me.
- When I wake up, I immediately make myself get up.
- Morning is the hardest time of day for me.
- If something upsets me, I cannot fall asleep for a long time.
- I sleep poorly at night and feel sleepy during the day.
- I sleep little but wake up feeling refreshed. I rarely have dreams.
- In the morning I am more active, and it is easier for me to work than in the evening.
- I sleep poorly and restlessly, and I often have distressing, gloomy dreams.
- In the morning I get up feeling alert and energetic.
- I wake up thinking about what I will need to do today.
- At night I have episodes of fear.
- In the morning I feel completely indifferent to everything.
- At night, I am especially troubled by thoughts about my illness.
- In my dreams I see all kinds of illnesses.
- None of the statements applies to me.

These are 3 of the 12 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

Attitudes Toward Illness Questionnaire Test - Description and methodology of the test

attitude towards illness

uneasiness

People seeking to understand how illness shapes emotions, relationships, treatment decisions, and daily functioning can use the Attitudes Toward Illness Questionnaire Test for guided self-reflection. It is intended for respondents considering their own experience of illness, not for judging another person. An illness attitude questionnaire can show which response patterns stand out in an individual profile. The result may help organize further reflection or discussion.

What This Assessment Explores

Illness can affect bodily experience, mood, treatment choices, relationships, work, and expectations about the future. Rather than assigning one global label, this assessment maps recurring reactions as tendencies. An attitudes toward illness assessment is best read as a profile connected to the respondent’s circumstances.

The displayed dimensions are:

Concern reactions show Hypochondriacal (0-27), bodily preoccupation: Low 0-15; Elevated 16-22; High 23-27; Paranoid (0-27), suspicion and blame: Low 0-15; Moderate 16-22; High 23-27; and Anxious (T) (0-27), illness and future worry: Low anxiety 0-14; Moderate anxiety 15-22; High anxiety 23-27.
Social and self-focused reactions show Egocentric (0-27), attention-seeking: Low 0-15; Moderate 16-22; High 23-27; Sensitive (S) (0-27), vulnerability and concern about opinions: Low 0-15; Moderate 16-22; High 23-27; and Harmonious (H) (0-27), realistic appraisal and engagement: Low harmonious attitude 0-14; Moderate harmonious attitude 15-22; High harmonious attitude 23-27.
Distress and disengagement show Dysphoric (D) (0-27), hostility and blame: Low 0-14; Elevated 15-22; High 23-27; Apathetic (A) (0-27), indifference and detachment: Low 0-14; Moderate 15-22; High 23-27; and Melancholic (M) (0-27), pessimism and hopelessness: Low 0-14; Moderate 15-22; High 23-27.
Illness-management reactions show Neurasthenic (N) (0-27), irritability and impatience: Low 0-14; Moderate 15-22; High 23-27; Anosognosic Type (Z) (0-27), denial: Low denial 0-14; Moderate denial 15-22; High denial 23-27; and Ergopathic (0-27), work immersion and minimization: Low 0-15; Moderate 16-22; High 23-27.

Methodology and Evidence Base

Each prompt presents several statements about a particular area of living with illness. The respondent selects the statement that fits best, or chooses the none-of-these option where appropriate. Topics cover well-being, mood, sleep, appetite, illness, treatment, medical staff, close others, work or study, social contact, solitude, and the future.

Selections generate a multidimensional profile rather than one overall total. The bands shown with each dimension provide the catalogue’s descriptive interpretation; the answer choices do not justify inventing a separate points-per-response rule. An illness response profile is most useful when its pattern is compared with the person’s actual experiences and current circumstances.

The framework is conceptually consistent with TOBOL (Vasserman et al., 2005), a published approach to psychological attitudes toward disease. Lichko and Ivanov (1980) provide related medical-psychological context, while Shunenkov, Vorontsova, and Ivanova (2021) examine illness attitudes alongside self-stigmatisation. This online questionnaire should not be treated as proof that it has the source instrument’s norms, reliability, or diagnostic validity. Self-report results may also shift with current distress, interpretation of the statements, and willingness to answer candidly.

Author: Howard Leventhal, Kenneth A. Wallston

Literature:

Vasserman, L. I., Iovlev, B. V., Karpova, E. B., & Vuks, A. Ya. (2005). Psychological Diagnostics of Attitude Toward Disease: A Guide for Doctors. Saint Petersburg: Bekhterev Psychoneurological Research Institute, 32 pp.
Shunenkov, D., Vorontsova, V., & Ivanova, A. (2021). Gelotophobia, attitudes to illness and self-stigmatisation in patients with non-psychotic mental disorders and brain injuries. European Journal of Humour Research, 9(2), 141-153. 10.7592/EJHR2021.9.2.439
Lichko, A. E., & Ivanov, N. Ya. (1980). Medical-Psychological Examination of Somatic Patients. Journal of Neuropathology and Psychiatry Named after S. S. Korsakov, 80(8), 1195-1198.

Updated: 2025-10-02