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Heterogeneity among specific phobia types in DSM-IV
M M Antony1, T A Brown, D H Barlow
1Anxiety Disorders Clinic, Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Behaviour Research and Therapy
|February 18, 1998
Summary
Situational phobias are not variants of agoraphobia, despite initial suggestions. Height phobias, not driving phobias, showed similarities to agoraphobia in this study of specific phobia types.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Anxiety Disorders
Background:
- Recent hypotheses suggest situational specific phobias (e.g., driving, flying) are closely related to agoraphobia.
- This study examines heterogeneity among specific phobia types to test this agoraphobia link.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether situational specific phobias share characteristics with agoraphobia.
- To compare specific phobia subtypes (animals, heights, blood/injection, driving) on variables associated with agoraphobia.
Main Methods:
- Interview and behavioral testing of 60 patients with specific phobias.
- Comparison with 15 patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia on etiology, age of onset, physiological response, panic predictability, and apprehension focus.
- Analysis of DSM-IV specific phobia types.
Main Results:
- Driving phobias had a later age of onset, similar to agoraphobia.
- Height phobias showed a late age of onset and internal apprehension focus, resembling agoraphobia.
- Blood/injection phobias reported internal apprehension focus and fainting history.
- Situational phobias were not supported as a variant of agoraphobia.
Conclusions:
- The findings do not support the hypothesis that situational specific phobias are a variant of agoraphobia.
- Height phobias, surprisingly, displayed more similarities to agoraphobia than situational phobias.
- Results have implications for the classification of specific phobias and anxiety disorders.