Manuscript Instrument for Fear of Driving (IFD)

Presently, there is no instrument to support the diagnosis of driving fear and its severity. To enable a reliable and valid diagnosis, the five-item German-language Instrument for Fear of Driving (IFD) was developed. The items, in accordance with DSM-5 criteria for specific phobia, measure the emotional, cognitive and physiological components of driving fear as well as the degree of avoidance and impairment. The present paper comprises two studies that describe the development of the IFD and its psychometric properties. In Study 1, the IFD was administered to 810 non-clinical participants in an online survey and demonstrated good reliability and construct validity. In Study 2, 54 people with a clinical diagnosis, including clinically relevant driving fear, completed the IFD and a clinical interview. The IFD demonstrated good sensitivity and specificity, and a cut-off score resulted in 95% sensitivity and 97% specificity. The IFD is a promising screening instrument for driving fear and its severity.