SPIN Social Anxiety Information and Licensing Boundary
MindCheck Tools does not administer, score, or interpret the Social Phobia Inventory on this public website. This page explains the evidence and rights boundary without reproducing the instrument.
Quick answer
- What is this?
- An educational overview of the Social Phobia Inventory and the current permission requirement for public electronic use.
- Who is it for?
- People seeking reliable SPIN information or a separately permitted anxiety self-check.
- Bottom line
- This page does not provide a SPIN questionnaire or result. GAD-7 and PHQ-4 are different instruments, not equivalent replacements, and no self-check can diagnose social anxiety disorder.
Why the public self-check is unavailable
The American Physical Therapy Association's current SPIN record says users should contact the copyright holder for permission and a user fee. MindCheck Tools does not have an archived licence covering a public consumer website, electronic administration, scoring, or results.
Public access to this educational page remains available, but the questionnaire, answer capture, scoring keys, cutoffs, severity bands, and automated interpretation are not provided.
Review APTA's SPIN rights and cost recordWhat the SPIN was developed to assess
Connor and colleagues introduced the SPIN as a self-report measure of social-anxiety symptoms. The validation study supports its use as a clinical and research measure, but a questionnaire result alone cannot establish a diagnosis.
Social anxiety can involve persistent fear of scrutiny, avoidance, physical distress, and disruption to school, work, relationships, or daily activities. A clinician can consider those experiences alongside duration, context, other health conditions, and possible alternative explanations.
Separately permitted, non-equivalent options
These self-checks measure different symptom patterns. They do not reproduce the SPIN and should not be used to estimate or translate a SPIN result.
GAD-7 Anxiety Self-Check
A publicly permitted screen for generalized anxiety symptoms. It is not specific to social anxiety and is not a SPIN substitute.
PHQ-4 Quick Screen
A brief, publicly permitted screen covering depression and generalized anxiety symptoms. It does not measure the same construct as the SPIN.
No-input privacy boundary
This informational page has no form and asks for no symptoms, answers, or score. It calculates no personal result. Review the privacy policy before using any linked self-check, especially on a shared device.
If anxiety feels overwhelming or unsafe
This page cannot assess an emergency. In the United States, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 for immediate danger. Outside the United States, use local emergency or crisis services.
Sources
- American Physical Therapy Association. Social Phobia Inventory record, including the direction to contact the copyright holder for permission and a user fee.
- Connor, K. M., et al. (2000). Psychometric properties of the Social Phobia Inventory. PubMed PMID 10827888.
- National Institute of Mental Health. Social Anxiety Disorder: More Than Just Shyness.
Reviewed by Jason Ramirez, CADC-II with 11 years of clinical experience in substance use counseling.
Review covers source alignment, scoring, limitations, and safety language within the reviewer's stated credential scope; it is not diagnosis or individual care.
Last reviewed: August 2, 2026
Frequently asked questions
What is the SPIN?
The Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) is a published self-report measure developed to assess social-anxiety symptoms. It is a screening and severity measure, not a diagnosis.
Can I take the SPIN on MindCheck Tools?
No. The current rights information directs users to the copyright holder for permission and a possible user fee. MindCheck Tools has not archived a licence for public electronic administration, so this page does not display questions, collect answers, calculate a score, or return an interpretation.
Why does this page not explain SPIN scores or cutoffs?
Scoring and interpretation are part of the licensed instrument journey. They are intentionally omitted while public electronic reproduction rights and qualified clinical review remain unresolved.
Are the GAD-7 or PHQ-4 equivalent to the SPIN?
No. They focus on generalized anxiety and broader depression-and-anxiety symptoms rather than social anxiety specifically. They are linked only as separately validated, publicly permitted options and cannot be compared score-for-score with the SPIN.
Can this page diagnose social anxiety disorder?
No. This page is educational and does not assess you. A qualified healthcare professional can evaluate symptoms, duration, impairment, medical factors, and other possible explanations.