#Pathological fear of thunderstorms manual

In a community sample of 915 participants (age 15 to 54) with a lifetime history of specific phobia, 24.4 percent reported one phobia, 26.4 percent reported two phobias, 23.5 percent reported three phobias, 10.4 percent reported four phobias, and 17.3 percent reported more than four phobias. Ĭomorbidities - Common comorbidities associated with specific phobia include other anxiety disorders as well as mood disorders and alcohol dependence. In a study of 43,093 United States adults, increased risk for specific phobia was associated with being female, young, and low income, while decreased risk is associated with Asian or Hispanic populations. (See 'Acute procedure anxiety in adults: Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and course', section on 'Blood-injection-injury phobia'.) However, sex differences vary across specific phobia types and are stronger for animal phobias and smaller for blood-injection-injury and height phobias. As an example, 13.8 percent of women and 4.5 percent of men met criteria for specific phobia in the study of 558 Swedish adults. Similar to most other anxiety disorders, specific phobias are more common in females than males. Prevalence rates in children and adolescents are estimated to be approximately 5 percent in community samples and 15 percent in clinical samples. Although some research suggests that the prevalence of specific phobia may be lower in older adults, a study of a representative sample of 558 70-year-old Swedish adults found a one-month prevalence rate of 10 percent. International epidemiological studies suggest similarly high rates with lifetime prevalence estimates of specific phobia ranging from 5.2 to 6.1 percent in countries such as Korea, Oman and China, to 11.5 to 12.8 percent in Turkey and Germany. (See 'Overview of fears and phobias in children and adolescents'.) Īlthough fears are common in children and most are transient, prevalence estimates of phobias in children are actually low although there is wide variation among findings (from 2.6 to 9.1 percent). The rates vary depending on study methodology (eg, the threshold used to determine distress and impairment) and demographic factors. Prevalence - Prevalence rates in the United States for specific phobia range from 3.5 to 8.7 percent (12-month), and 7.7 to 12.5 percent (lifetime) in adult samples. Other (eg, situations that may lead to choking or vomiting in children, eg, loud sounds or costumed characters).Situational (eg, airplanes, elevators, enclosed places).Blood-injection-injury (eg, needles, invasive medical procedures).

Natural environment (eg, heights, storms, water).

#Pathological fear of thunderstorms manual

SPECIFIC PHOBIA SPECIFIERS - There are five main specifiers (which can be considered types) of specific phobias in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) that are based on the nature of the phobic stimulus : (See 'Treatment of acute procedural anxiety in adults'.).(See 'Acute procedure anxiety in adults: Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and course'.).

(See 'Cognitive-behavioral therapies for specific phobia in adults'.).(See 'Pharmacotherapy for specific phobia in adults'.).(See 'Overview of fears and phobias in children and adolescents'.).(See 'Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and course'.).Specific phobias relating to clinical procedures (eg, blood-injection-injury phobia) and other manifestations of acute procedural anxiety specific phobias and other anxiety disorders in children and pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy for specific phobia in adults are discussed separately. This topic describes the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, course, and diagnosis of specific phobia in adults. The focus of fear may include disgust, danger of harm, and/or the experience of physical symptoms in the phobic situation. The phobic anxiety may be triggered by anticipation of the stimulus, actual exposure to the stimulus, and even hearing the stimulus name spoken aloud (eg, hearing the word spider for an individual with spider phobia). Phobic fears include animals, insects, heights, water, enclosed places, driving, flying, seeing blood, getting an injection, and choking or vomiting. INTRODUCTION - Specific phobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by clinically significant fear of a particular object or situation that typically leads to avoidance behavior.