The Oxford Psychological Investigation of Coronavirus Questionnaire – TOPIC-Q
A printable PDF version of The Oxford Psychological Investigation of Coronavirus Questionnaire – TOPIC-Q is available for download and use.
Rosebrock, L., Černis, E., Lambe, S., Waite, F., Rek, S., Petit, A., Ehlers, A., Clark, D. M. and Freeman, D. (2021) Catastrophic cognitions about coronavirus: the Oxford psychological investigation of coronavirus questionnaire [TOPIC-Q], Psychological Medicine. Cambridge University Press, pp. 1–10.
Scoring (sum the scores for each subscale):
Cognitions about Safety and Vulnerability: Items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Cognitions about Negative Long-Term Impact: Items 6, 7, 8, 9
Cognitions about Having the Virus: Items 10, 11, 12, 13
Cognitions about Negative Self: Items 14, 15, 16
Cognitions about Social Judgment: Items 17, 18, 19, 20
Cognitions about Spreading the Virus: Items 21, 22, 23
Cognitions about Being Targeted: Items 24, 25, 26
How strongly do you currently believe each of these statements?
1: The only way to survive is not
to leave the house.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
2: I am going to die from this virus.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
3: I will never be safe from the virus.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
4: If I get coronavirus, no treatment
will save me.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
5: The virus is on almost every surface.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
6: My world has been shattered by
coronavirus.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
7: Having to isolate has permanently
changed me for the worse.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
8: The pandemic has made everything
hopeless.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
9: There is no point planning ahead.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
10: Whenever my breath is short I think
I’ve got the virus.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
11: If I feel hot, I think I’m dying.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
12: If I cough, I’m certain I have the virus.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
13: If others tell me I look tired, I fear I
have the virus.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
14: My response to the lockdown shows
that I am a bad person.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
15: I deserve to get coronavirus.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
16: I have failed in my response to
coronavirus.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
17: People will think I’m infected with
coronavirus if I cough or sneeze in public.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
18: People will judge me badly because of
my response to coronavirus.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
19: People will think I’m disgusting if I cough
or sneeze in public.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
20: People will think I’m horrible if I get too
close to them.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
21: have spread the virus to hundreds
of people.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
22: I have spread the virus and caused
other people to die.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
23: I have spread the virus without realising
I had it.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
24: People are deliberately trying to give me
the virus.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
25: The virus is particularly going after me.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally
26: When outside, people get close to me in
order to give me the virus.
0 Not at all
1 A little
2 Moderately
3 A lot
4 Totally