Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Agoraphobia: what Westphal really said.

K Kuch1, R P Swinson

  • 1University of Toronto, Ontario.

Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Revue Canadienne De Psychiatrie
|March 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Alprazolam withdrawal symptoms in agoraphobia with panic disorder: observations from a controlled Anglo-Canadian study.

Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)·2012
Same author

Cognitive features of social phobia.

CNS spectrums·2008
Same author

Psychological factors and the development of chronic pain.

The Clinical journal of pain·2002
Same author

Psychological features of subjects with idiopathic environmental intolerance.

Journal of psychosomatic research·2001
Same author

Effect of distraction and coping style on in vivo exposure for specific phobia of spiders.

Behaviour research and therapy·2001
Same author

Clinical guidelines for the treatment of depressive disorders. VII. Comorbidity.

Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie·2001

Westphal described agoraphobia in 1872, noting panic attacks in specific public spaces and anticipatory anxiety. These core symptoms of agoraphobia remain largely unchanged over 150 years later.

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • In 1872, Westphal first described agoraphobia, detailing patient experiences of panic attacks in various public settings.
  • Patients reported anticipatory anxiety and fear of sudden incapacitation, key indicators of the disorder.

Discussion:

  • The core symptomatology of agoraphobia, including situational panic attacks and anticipatory anxiety, has remained remarkably consistent since its initial description.
  • This enduring presentation suggests a stable underlying pathophysiology or a persistent environmental interaction pattern.

Key Insights:

  • Agoraphobia's defining symptoms, such as fear of public spaces and panic, have shown significant clinical stability over more than a century.
  • The consistency in symptom presentation highlights the historical recognition and persistent nature of this anxiety disorder.

Related Experiment Videos

Outlook:

  • Further research may explore the neurobiological and psychological underpinnings that contribute to the enduring nature of agoraphobia symptoms.
  • Understanding this historical consistency can inform contemporary diagnostic criteria and therapeutic interventions for agoraphobia.