Assessing the prevalence of snake phobia among the general population in India

Abstract Background A specific phobia is an anxiety disorder that is characterised by persistent and excessive fear in the presence of the object of the phobia. Animal phobias are the most prevalent forms of specific phobia among humans. Fear of snakes is present in non-human primates which suggests its evolutionary origins as the ability to detect the threat of snakes was critical for survival. Snake phobia is a critical factor in protecting snakes and mitigating snakebite burden. To date, only one standardised psychometric test [the Snake Questionnaire (SNAQ) developed in 1974] has been used to quantify snake phobia. Here, we estimated the level of snake phobia in India, where snakebites are highly prevalent using a modified version of the SNAQ (SNAQ12), which has previously demonstrated internal consistency, excellent reliability, and good discrimination between phobics and non-phobics in Hungary although it has never been tested among the general population in a snakebite-endemic country. Methodology/principal findings SNAQ12 was developed both in English and Tamil and validated by testing on several individuals. Then, the questionnaire was disseminated to members of the public through various methods including social media and in person through academic and clinical organisations. We received a total of 2032 responses, comprising 1086 [53.4%] males and 946 [46.6%] females. Conclusions/significance The results demonstrated good internal consistency in determining phobia amongst the population. The data suggests that males are more likely to be snake-phobic than females, in contrast to previous research that suggested that females are usually more snake-phobic. The use of the SNAQ12 allowed us to easily discriminate between individuals with phobia and non-clinical controls. This tool can be used as part of the One Health approach to better understand the relationships between snake phobia and snakebites and their impact on the mental health and well-being of vulnerable populations. Author Summary Snakebite envenoming often occurs due to unnecessary human-snake conflicts. Fear of snakes is a key factor in driving this conflict which frequently results in killing snakes. To protect humans from snakebites and snakes from humans, it is critical to estimate the level of snake phobia among vulnerable communities. Therefore, in this study, we used a robust online questionnaire (SNAQ12) to measure the level of snake phobia among members of the public in India, which is a snakebite-endemic country. SNAQ12 was developed in English and a local language, Tamil and validated before disseminating to members of the public through several methods. We received over 2000 responses, and the data analysis confirmed the internal consistency and robustness of this questionnaire for Indian communities. The data demonstrated that males are more phobic to snakes than females in India. The phobia was not dependent on any other factors such as age and education levels. While this study has some limitations, it forms the basis for further research to determine the level of phobia before and after snakebites and develop robust strategies to tackle this condition. We believe that preventing and treating snake phobia will aid in mitigating snakebite burden and snake conservation in India.