Psychometric evaluation of the monkey pox fear scale in the Turkish general population

> 0.05). Instead, we identified perceived helplessness, perceived self-efficacy, and psychological well-being as the primary direct predictors of MPOX fear. The MFS is a valid and reliable instrument for the Turkish context. Our findings suggest that at this stage of the outbreak, MPOX fear is governed by cognitive appraisals of control - specifically self-efficacy and helplessness - rather than pre-existing clinical distress.