---
title: Phobia scales (IAPT)
description: "These are three questions that have been mandatory in the UK IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies, now \"NHS Talking Therapies\"). I think they are also sometimes called \"the phobia questions\". I see them as \"trigger items\" rather than scales:…"
url: "https://www.psyctc.org/psyctc/glossary2/phobia-scales-iapt/"
updated: "2024-04-30"
category: All OM book glossary entries
---

# Phobia scales (IAPT)

These are three questions that have been mandatory in the UK IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies, now "NHS Talking Therapies"). I think they are also sometimes called "the phobia questions". I see them as "trigger items" rather than scales: prompts that something might be a significant issue for the person rather than scales whose numbers should be taken very seriously in psychometric terms for comparing individuals. I don't say disrespectfully: I see the risk items in the CORE measures as very similar and if they work for the client and practitioner as cues that lead into constructive conversations about potentially shame/guilt laden topics that might otherwise not surface in a typically time pressured initial meeting that's all well and good.

#### Details

Here are the questions (from here as it happens: a quick search on the internet and in the IAPT documentation has failed to give me any clarity about the origins and possible copyright on these "scales"

![](https://www.psyctc.org/psyctc/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Phobia_scales.png)

So they tap into social anxieties leading to phobic avoidance, panic and specific phobias. I haven't found any information about what scores practitioners are supposed to take as triggers but I would guess that people are not unreasonably expected to use common sense and experience in starting a conversation out of the scores.

#### Try also

IAPT

#### Chapters

Mentioned briefly in Chapter 4!

#### Online resources

None.

#### Dates

First created 30.iv.24.