Empathos

Existential Concerns Questionnaire (ECQ)

The Existential Concerns Questionnaire (ECQ) is a validated 22-item measure of existential concerns, the worries that come with being human, such as meaning, freedom, isolation and mortality. It covers three areas: general existential anxiety, death anxiety, and avoidance of existential questions. About 5 minutes.

Please respond to each statement based on how you generally feel, using the 5-point scale from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree. There are no right or wrong answers. Important: This questionnaire is for educational and self-reflection purposes only. It is not a diagnostic tool. If you are experiencing significant distress, please consult a mental health professional.
Question 1 of 22
The question of whether life has meaning makes me anxious.
Question 2 of 22
It frightens me when I realize how many choices life offers.
Question 3 of 22
I worry about not being at home in the world, as if I do not belong here.
Question 4 of 22
Existence feels threatening to me, as if at any moment something terrible could happen to me.
Question 5 of 22
It frightens me that at some point in time I will be dead.
Question 6 of 22
I worry about the meaning of life.
Question 7 of 22
I try to forget that all my choices have consequences.
Question 8 of 22
I get anxious because of losing touch with myself.
Question 9 of 22
I struggle with the feeling that in the end I am on my own in life.
Question 10 of 22
It makes me anxious that my life is passing by.
Question 11 of 22
When the question of whether life has meaning enters my mind, I try to think quickly about something else.
Question 12 of 22
I worry about not living the life that I could live.
Question 13 of 22
The awareness that other people will never know me at the deepest level frightens me.
Question 14 of 22
I worry that, out of the blue, something terrible might happen to me.
Question 15 of 22
I try to push away the thought that life will end.
Question 16 of 22
It frightens me that things I once considered important seem meaningless when I look back on them.
Question 17 of 22
I am afraid that I do not get out of life what is in it.
Question 18 of 22
I try to avoid the question of who I really am.
Question 19 of 22
I have the anxious feeling that there is a gap between me and other people.
Question 20 of 22
I become anxious when I realize how vulnerable my body is to the dangers of life.
Question 21 of 22
I worry about having to let go of everything at the moment of my death.
Question 22 of 22
I am afraid that I will never know myself at the deepest level.

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© 2026 Nora Markarian, LMHC, NCC — Empathos Mental Health Counseling
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