Description of the Questionnaire

The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) was developed by Ahorsu et al. (2020) to measure the level of fear associated with the COVID-19 virus. The Greek version was translated and validated by Tsipropoulou (2020). The tool is unidimensional and consists of seven statements, which are evaluated using a five-point Likert scale.

Data Analysis and Use

Participants are asked to respond to each statement by selecting a number from 1 to 5, where 1 means “Strongly Disagree,” 2 “Disagree,” 3 “Neither Agree nor Disagree,” 4 “Agree,” and 5 “Strongly Agree.” The total score ranges from 7 to 35, with higher scores indicating a greater level of fear related to COVID-19. The tool can be used for research purposes, assessment of psychological impact, or monitoring the effectiveness of mental health interventions.

Objective

The objective of the questionnaire is to measure the level of fear experienced by individuals as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is widely used in international research to understand the psychological impact of the pandemic and to inform mental health support policies.

Scoring

No item requires reverse scoring. The total score is obtained by summing the values of all the statements. Although there are no predefined thresholds for “high” or “low” fear, higher total scores indicate a higher level of fear related to COVID-19.

Statements

Please respond to the following statements by selecting a number from 1 to 5 that best reflects how you feel.
I am very afraid of COVID-19
I feel uncomfortable when I think about COVID-19
My hands become clammy when I think about COVID-19
I am afraid of losing my life because of COVID-19
When watching news and stories about COVID-19 on media, I become nervous or anxious
I cannot sleep because I’m worrying about getting COVID-19
My heart races or palpitates when I think about getting COVID-19

References

Ahorsu, D. K., Lin, C.-Y., Imani, V., Saffari, M., Griffiths, M. D., & Pakpour, A. H. (2020). The Fear of COVID-19 Scale: Development and Initial Validation. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00270-8
Tsipropoulou, V. (2020). Greek translation and validation of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S).