Claustrophobia Test: See How Strongly Restriction and Suffocation Fears Affect You
This claustrophobia test explores fear of enclosed spaces using questions adapted from the Claustrophobia Questionnaire (CLQ). Get instant suffocation and restriction scores, plus an optional report.
Reviewed by Michael Callans, MSW 
Claustrophobia Test is a free, confidential 26-question self-assessment, based on the validated Claustrophobia Questionnaire (CLQ). It takes about 8 minutes, runs entirely in your browser, and gives you a plain-language score across 4 interpretation bands plus an optional in-depth report. It is an educational screening, not a diagnosis.
Two fears sit inside claustrophobia, not one
Claustrophobia is fear of enclosed or confining spaces. The CLQ research distinguishes fear of suffocation from fear of restriction: feeling unable to breathe and feeling unable to move or leave. These concerns can overlap, and a self-assessment can help you describe them when seeking support.
The validated CLQ
This self-assessment adapts the 26-item Claustrophobia Questionnaire (Radomsky et al., 2001). You rate the anxiety you imagine each situation would cause. Published validation applies to the original questionnaire; this page's reworded situations and educational result bands have not been separately validated.
Suffocation vs restriction
Suffocation fear centers on not being able to breathe; restriction fear centers on not being able to move or get out. Your subscale scores describe these related concerns separately. Because their maximum scores differ, a larger raw total alone does not establish which fear is stronger.
Fear versus phobia
Feeling uneasy in an MRI tube or a packed elevator is common. A phobia adds intensity out of proportion to the danger, active avoidance, and real interference with life. This test shows how strong your reaction is, not whether you meet that bar.
| Feature | Typical free quiz | Psychology.com |
|---|---|---|
| Uses the validated CLQ (26 items) | Rarely | Yes, faithful wording |
| Separates suffocation from restriction | No | Yes, both subscales scored |
| Explains why the two fears differ | No | Yes, and what each responds to |
| Evidence-based treatment guidance | Rarely | Yes, exposure research cited |
| Clinician-reviewed interpretation | Rarely | Yes, reviewed |
| Optional in-depth personalized report | No | Yes, written to your exact scores |
| Confidential (no data sent) | Often tracked | Runs in your browser |
How scoring works
Answers are scored 0–104 in total. Your result falls into one of 4 bands:
| Score | Band | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–20 | Low claustrophobic anxiety | Enclosed and confining spaces cause you little anxiety. Most of these situations do not sound like a problem for you. |
| 21–45 | Moderate claustrophobic anxiety | Enclosed spaces cause you a noticeable amount of anxiety. Many people land here, and it is very workable. |
| 46–70 | High claustrophobic anxiety | Enclosed spaces cause you strong anxiety, and it is likely shaping some of your choices. This is worth taking seriously and gently. |
| 71–104 | Severe claustrophobic anxiety | Enclosed and confining spaces cause you severe anxiety across many situations. Support can make a real difference here. |
How the claustrophobia score is calculated
This claustrophobia test summarizes the anxiety you expect in enclosed or confining situations. The CLQ splits its 26 situations into two parts: 14 suffocation items, worth up to 56 points, and 12 restriction items, worth up to 48 points, each rated from 0 (not at all anxious) to 4 (extremely anxious). Your total score out of 104 is the sum of both parts, and your two subscale scores are reported separately so you can describe both breathing-related fear and fear of confinement.
The four result bands, low, moderate, high, and severe, split the 0 to 104 range into educational categories rather than a published clinical cutoff. A higher band means enclosed and confining situations provoke stronger anxiety across more of the 26 situations, and it is worth checking whether your suffocation or restriction subscale is doing more of the work, alongside the situations you avoid and how fear affects daily life.
The subscales contain different numbers of situations, so compare each score with its own maximum and look at the individual situations that worried you. A higher total cannot establish that you are afraid in every enclosed space. Likewise, a low total can conceal a strong fear of a particular situation, such as a medical scan, that still deserves attention.
Claustrophobia vs panic disorder and agoraphobia
These three often get confused because they can all involve a racing heart, shortness of breath, and a strong urge to escape, but the DSM-5-TR treats them as separate conditions. Claustrophobia is a situational specific phobia tied to enclosed or confining spaces themselves. Panic disorder centers on repeated, often unexpected panic attacks and the fear of having another one, regardless of setting. Agoraphobia is the fear of situations where escape might be hard or help unavailable, such as open spaces, crowds, or public transport, which can overlap with tight spaces but is really about escape routes, not enclosure.
A person can have one of these, two, or all three at once, which is part of why the overlap is so common. If tight spaces are only one of several situations that trigger panic for you, or if the fear is really about not being able to get away rather than about the enclosure itself, the Panic Disorder Test or Agoraphobia Test can help you see which pattern fits best, and the Psychology.com therapist directory can connect you with a clinician who treats anxiety disorders for a fuller picture.
You can find related screenings in the Psychology.com tests hub. Fear Ladder offers a place to list situations that worry you and identify what you predict will happen. Bring that list to a clinician if fear limits travel, work, or medical care. An exposure plan should be collaborative and use safe situations; the scenarios in this questionnaire are not instructions for practice.
How to answer if you avoid enclosed spaces
Rate how anxious you imagine you would feel, even if avoidance means you rarely enter the situation. If you have never encountered it, use your best estimate rather than putting yourself through it to check your response. You can pause the questionnaire if imagining a situation becomes upsetting. A score reflects your answers at the time, so uncertainty about unfamiliar situations is worth mentioning when you discuss the result.
Some scenarios describe circumstances that could be unsafe in real life. Do not recreate breath restriction, underwater breath-holding, restraint, or being locked into a space to test yourself. This questionnaire asks about anticipated feelings. A therapist can help distinguish a realistic safety concern from a fear response and select appropriate situations for any supported practice.
Methodology & sources
This test is based on the Claustrophobia Questionnaire (CLQ), a validated 26-item measure developed by Radomsky, Rachman, Thordarson, McIsaac and Teachman (2001). The CLQ was designed around the finding that claustrophobic anxiety is driven by two distinct fears, so it splits into two subscales: suffocation, which is the fear of not being able to breathe, and restriction, which is the fear of being physically confined or unable to move. Each situation is rated for how much anxiety it would cause from 0 (not at all anxious) to 4 (extremely anxious), giving a suffocation score out of 56, a restriction score out of 48, and a total out of 104. We reworded the items for readability and have not separately validated the adapted wording, and we read the total in four educational bands rather than against a clinical cutoff.
This is provided for education and self-reflection, not diagnosis. Claustrophobia is classified in the DSM-5-TR as a situational specific phobia, and only a licensed clinician can decide whether your fear meets that bar, which requires that the fear be out of proportion to the actual danger, that you actively avoid the feared situations, and that this interferes with your life. A high CLQ score means your fear of enclosed spaces runs strong; it does not by itself mean you have a phobia. If you want to see how claustrophobia sits alongside other fears such as heights, flying, or needles, our broader phobia test maps your fears across all five specific phobia types. Either way, the encouraging fact is that situational phobias like claustrophobia are among the most treatable conditions in mental health.
A self-reported anxiety score does not establish how long a fear has lasted or how much it interferes with your life. Clinical assessment also considers avoidance, distress, context, and other possible explanations. The original CLQ study supports measuring suffocation and restriction concerns separately; it does not validate this page's educational bands as diagnostic categories or prescribe an individual treatment plan.
References
- Radomsky AS, Rachman S, Thordarson DS, McIsaac HK, Teachman BA. The Claustrophobia Questionnaire. J Anxiety Disord. 2001;15(4):287-297. doi.org/10.1016/S0887-6185(01)00064-0
- American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2022.
- American College of Radiology and Radiological Society of North America. How to Prepare for an MRI Exam. RadiologyInfo.org. radiologyinfo.org/en/info/how-to-prepare-for-mri-exam
- NHS. Phobias. nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/phobias/treatment/
Cite this source
Psychology.com. (2026, September 16). Claustrophobia Test. Psychology.com. https://psychology.com/tests/claustrophobia
Claustrophobia Test FAQ
What are the symptoms of claustrophobia, and am I claustrophobic?
Claustrophobia involves intense fear of enclosed or confined spaces, such as elevators, MRI scanners, tunnels, or crowded rooms. Symptoms can include a racing heart, sweating, shortness of breath, an urge to escape, and avoidance. The CLQ explores fear of suffocation and fear of restriction. This self-assessment describes the anxiety you report; a clinician considers the duration, context, and effect on your life when assessing whether you have a specific phobia.
What is the difference between suffocation fear and restriction fear?
Suffocation fear concerns breathing, such as worrying that a space lacks air or something might cover your face. Restriction fear concerns being trapped, pinned, or unable to leave. The CLQ measures these related concerns separately because they can vary. Compare each subscale with its own maximum and review the situations you rated highly. The pattern can support a conversation with a clinician, but it does not determine a treatment plan by itself.
Is claustrophobia a phobia, and how is it different from other phobias?
Yes. Claustrophobia is a situational specific phobia, the same family as fear of flying or driving through tunnels. What sets it apart is its two-fear structure and the way an enclosed space can trigger both at once. If you want to see how your fear of enclosed spaces compares with other common fears like heights, animals, or needles, our broader phobia test maps all five specific phobia types and points you to the domain where your fear runs highest.
Can claustrophobia be treated?
Treatment options include cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy, which involve learning about fear and approaching safe situations with appropriate support. A clinician can help plan practice around your concerns and health needs. Progress varies, so a screening score cannot predict how quickly you will improve or how much care you need. Discuss treatment when avoidance interferes with everyday life or medical care, even if your overall score is low.
Why do MRI scans and elevators trigger it so strongly?
MRI scanners and elevators can bring up fears of confinement, difficulty leaving, or not getting enough air. The feeling of being trapped does not establish that the air supply is unsafe. Before an MRI, tell the imaging team what worries you and ask how you can communicate during the scan. They can explain positioning and discuss whether a more open scanner or prescribed medication is appropriate for your exam. Equipment and options vary by facility.
Is this test confidential?
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser. Your individual answers are scored in your browser and are never sent to us or linked to you. They stay in this tab so you can return to your result, and closing or clearing the tab clears them. If you ask us to email the PDF, we receive your summary scores with your email address, never your individual answers. No account is needed.
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