[The course of phobia in children and adolescents: a catamnestic study]

18 out of 25 patients with phobia, who were treated in a child psychiatric clinic at the age of 8.2-17.5 years took part in a follow-up-study. Mean follow-up time was 5.2 years. Patients were interviewed with the "Struktured Clinical Interview for DSM-IIIR" (SKID) and filled in following questionnaires: Symptom Check List (SCL 90 R), State-Trait-Anxiety-Inventory, (STAI) and Interaction-Anxiety-Questionnaire (Interaktions-Angst-Fragebogen (IAF). Psychiatric disorders were diagnosed in 7 out of 18 patients. Predicter of outcome was the type of phobia. While at follow-up 4 out of 8 patients with a previous diagnosis of "Simple Phobia" (DSM-IIIR: 300.29) still suffered from distinct psychiatric disorders (DSM-IIIR criteria), outcome for patients with agoraphobia and social phobia was better. Age at onset duration of symptoms before treatment, age at start of treatment, and duration of therapy did not predict outcome.