Existential Anxiety Test: 5 Questions to Assess Your Concerns

Marie, 34, often wakes up in the middle of the night with a feeling of chest tightness. She asks herself nagging questions: "What is the meaning of my life? What will happen after death? Do my choices truly matter in the immensity of the universe?" These questions, far from being philosophical and detached, generate a deep anxiety that interferes with her sleep, work concentration, and personal relationships.

This particular form of anxiety, which we call existential anxiety, affects approximately 15 to 20% of the general population according to recent epidemiological studies. It is characterized by distress related to fundamental questions of existence: death, the meaning of life, freedom, isolation, and the responsibility of our choices.

Unlike generalized anxiety, which focuses on concrete daily concerns, existential anxiety confronts us with the deepest and most inevitable aspects of the human condition. How, then, can we identify, assess, and understand it? What psychological tools can measure this very particular dimension of our emotional experience?

Understanding Existential Anxiety: Definition and Manifestations

Theoretical Foundations

Existential anxiety has its roots in 20th-century existentialist philosophy, with thinkers like Kierkegaard, Sartre, and Camus. In clinical psychology, it was formalized by the work of Irvin Yalom, an American psychiatrist and psychotherapist, who identified four fundamental existential concerns:

• Death: the anxiety of our finitude
• Freedom: the vertigo of our choices and responsibility
• Isolation: the fundamental solitude of the human being
• Meaninglessness: the search for meaning in a universe sometimes perceived as absurd

Symptoms and Clinical Manifestations

Existential anxiety manifests differently in individuals, but certain symptoms frequently recur:

Cognitive Manifestations:

• Ruminations on death and the afterlife
• Obsessive questioning about the meaning of existence
• Feelings of emptiness or absurdity
• Concentration difficulties related to existential concerns

Emotional Manifestations:

• Deep anguish in the face of uncertainty
• Feelings of isolation and loneliness
• Sadness related to identity questioning
• Intense fear of the unknown

Physical Manifestations:

• Sleep disturbances (insomnia, nocturnal awakenings)
• Muscle tension
• Chest tightness
• Autonomic symptoms (palpitations, sweating)

Existential anxiety is not a mental disorder in itself, but rather a normal human reaction to the fundamental questions of existence. It becomes problematic when it significantly interferes with daily functioning.

Tools for Assessing Existential Anxiety

The Existential Anxiety Scale (EAS)

Developed by Weems and colleagues in 2004, the Existential Anxiety Scale (EAS) is one of the first tools specifically designed to measure this dimension. It comprises 16 items distributed across four subscales corresponding to Yalom's existential concerns.

Examples of items:

• "I worry about what happens after death"
• "I feel anxious when I think about the fact that I am alone in the universe"
• "The idea that life has no meaning makes me anxious"

The Existential Concerns Questionnaire (ECQ)

More recent, this questionnaire developed by van Bruggen and colleagues in 2006 assesses five dimensions:

Mortality: concerns related to death

Solitude: feelings of existential isolation

Freedom: anxiety about choices and responsibility

Meaning: questioning the significance of existence

Identity: questions about who we truly are

Complementary Assessment Tools

For a comprehensive assessment, it is often relevant to use complementary scales:

The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) helps distinguish existential anxiety from other forms of anxiety. With its 21 items, it measures the intensity of general anxiety symptoms. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale helps identify a possible depressive component often associated with deep existential questioning. The Purpose in Life Test (PIL) by Crumbaugh and Maholick assesses the feeling of having a purpose in life, a central dimension for understanding existential anxiety.

Self-Assessment: A Practical Questionnaire

Simplified Self-Assessment Grid

Here is a self-assessment questionnaire you can use to reflect on your own existential concerns. For each statement, indicate your level of agreement on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree):

Mortality Dimension:

• I often think about my own death with anguish
• The idea of the finitude of existence concerns me
• I feel anxious when I think about the death of a loved one

Freedom Dimension:

• I feel overwhelmed by the weight of my choices
• The responsibility of creating my own life makes me anxious
• I am afraid of making bad important decisions

Solitude Dimension:

• I feel fundamentally alone, even when surrounded by others
• I feel like no one can truly understand me
• The feeling of isolation generates anxiety in me

Meaning Dimension:

• I regularly wonder what the purpose of my life is
• The apparent lack of meaning in existence worries me
• I feel an existential void that is difficult to fill

Interpreting Your Results

A high score (above 15 out of 20 in a dimension) may indicate a significant existential concern in that area. However, it is important to contextualize these results:

• Moderate scores (10-15): normal existential questioning
• High scores (15-20): concerns that may benefit from support
• Functional impact: the essential thing is to determine if these concerns interfere with your daily life

Do not hesitate to consult the Psychology and Serenity Clinic if you wish to deepen this self-assessment with a professional.

Differentiating Existential Anxiety from Other Disorders

Existential Anxiety vs. Generalized Anxiety Disorder

The distinction is crucial for appropriate management:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (according to DSM-5):

• Excessive worries about concrete events
• Difficulty controlling daily concerns
• Prominent physical symptoms
• Avoidance of specific situations

Existential Anxiety:

• Questioning the fundamental aspects of existence
• Search for meaning and significance
• Direct confrontation with life's "ultimate concerns"
• No avoidance, but rather a quest for answers

Link to Existential Depression

Approximately 30% of people with existential anxiety also develop depressive symptoms. The difference lies in:

• Existential anxiety: a tension towards seeking answers
• Existential depression: a feeling of powerlessness in the face of perceived absurdity

Special Case: Life Transitions

Existential anxiety often emerges during significant transitions:

• Adolescence: identity construction
• Midlife: assessment and re-evaluation
• Grief: direct confrontation with mortality
• Retirement: questioning legacy and accomplished meaning

These moments can reveal or intensify latent existential concerns, hence the importance of an adapted assessment.

Risk Factors and Vulnerable Populations

Socio-Demographic Profile

Research by Steger and colleagues shows that certain populations are more vulnerable:

Individual risk factors:

• High level of education (paradoxically)
• Intellectual or artistic profession
• Introspective and sensitive personality
• History of trauma or loss

Environmental factors:

• Significant life transitions
• Exposure to mortality (medical profession, etc.)
• Social isolation
• Absence of a structuring spiritual or philosophical framework

Impact of Life Events

A 2018 longitudinal study followed 1,200 participants over 10 years and identified the most frequent triggers:

• Death of a loved one (45% of cases)
• Serious personal illness (32% of cases)
• Couple or family crisis (28% of cases)
• Professional questioning (25% of cases)

Furthermore, relational difficulties can particularly exacerbate existential questioning. If you are going through a difficult period in your relationship, you might benefit from an analysis of your couple's conversations to better understand these dynamics.

Specific Populations

Young adults (18-25 years old): A period of identity construction where existential questions are naturally prominent. 22% show high levels of existential anxiety according to Arnett's (2014) study. Healthcare professionals: Daily confronted with suffering and mortality, they more frequently develop this type of anxiety (prevalence of 28% vs 15% in the general population). Creative individuals: Artists, writers, and intellectuals show higher scores on existential anxiety scales, possibly linked to their sensitivity and capacity for introspection.

Treatment and Therapeutic Support

Specialized Psychotherapeutic Approaches

Existential therapy: Developed by Yalom, it supports patients in exploring their existential concerns without seeking to eliminate them, but rather to integrate them constructively. Adapted CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be modified to treat existential anxiety by:

• Identifying catastrophic thoughts related to existential questions
• Developing adaptive coping strategies
• Working on the acceptance of fundamental uncertainty

ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy): Particularly relevant as it helps to:

• Accept existential questions as normal
• Identify one's core values
• Engage in actions aligned with these values

Self-Help Strategies

Immediate management techniques:

• Mindful breathing during anxiety peaks
• Existential journaling to explore one's questions
• Practicing meditation to tame uncertainty
• Engaging in meaningful activities

Meaning-making:

• Identifying one's fundamental values
• Engaging in causes greater than oneself
• Cultivating authentic and deep relationships
• Creating or contributing to something lasting

When to Seek Professional Help?

It is recommended to seek professional help when:

• Existential anxiety significantly interferes with daily functioning
• Questions become obsessive and intrusive
• Depressive symptoms are associated with existential concerns
• Social isolation sets in due to avoidance of others
• Risky behaviors appear as an attempt to escape

Conclusion and Outlook

Existential anxiety, far from being a mere fleeting discomfort, represents a fundamental dimension of the human experience that deserves to be understood and supported with compassion. The assessment tools we have explored – from the Existential Anxiety Scale to self-assessment questionnaires – are valuable resources for better understanding this complex reality.

Regular self-testing and self-assessment not only allow for better self-knowledge but also help identify when professional support might be beneficial. For while these existential questions are an integral part of our humanity, they should not paralyze or isolate us.

Existential anxiety can even become, with appropriate support, a source of personal growth and renewed meaning. It invites us to an authentic exploration of what constitutes the richness and depth of our existence.

If this article resonated with your experience, feel free to continue your reflection by consulting a professional.