Aim: Information anxiety, an emerging and concerning phenomenon in both personal and organizational life, represents a psychological state stemming from fear and apprehension caused by the abundance, complexity, and lack of logical organization of data. It leaves individuals unable to analyze or infer when faced with limitless information sources. In the current era, characterized by the rapid expansion of communication technologies, continuous access to data, and the diversity of information sources, this phenomenon has gained unprecedented significance. Accordingly, this study aims to explore the hidden dimensions and subtle aspects of information anxiety by analyzing its antecedents and consequences among managers of public organizations in Ilam Province.

Methodology: This study is applied in terms of purpose and exploratory in its approach to data collection. It employs a mixed-methods research design (qualitative and quantitative) based on an inductive-deductive philosophy. The statistical population consists of experts, including faculty members of Ilam University and managers of public organizations in Ilam Province, selected through purposive sampling based on the principle of theoretical saturation. Data collection in the qualitative phase was conducted via semi-structured interviews, with validity and reliability confirmed through content validity, theoretical validity, and intra-coder/inter-coder reliability methods. In the quantitative phase, a questionnaire was used, and its validity and reliability were verified through content validity and test-retest reliability. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis, while quantitative data were analyzed using the Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM) method.