SPECIFIC PHOBIA SOCIAL ANXIETY AGORAPHOBIA

DISORDER

Definition • Marked fear or • Marked fear or • The individual fears or

anxiety about a anxiety about one avoids these situations
specific object or or more social because of thoughts
situation (e.g., situations in which that escape might be
flying, heights, the individual is difficult or help might
animals, receiving exposed to possible not be available in the
an injection, seeing scrutiny by others event of developing
blood). • The individual fears panic-like symptoms
that he or she will or other incapacitating
act in a way or show or embarrassing
anxiety symptoms symptoms (e.g., fear of
that will be falling in the elderly;
negatively fear of incontinence).
evaluated (i.e., will
be humiliating or
embarrassing: will
lead to rejection or
offend others).

Types/ Examples • Animal phobias: • social interactions • Marked fear or anxiety

Examples include (e.g., having a about two (or more) of
the fear of dogs, conversation, the following five
snakes, insects, or meeting unfamiliar situations:
mice. Animal people), being o Using public
phobias are the observed (e.g., transportation
most common eating or drinking), (e.g.,
specific phobias. and performing in automobiles,
• Situational front of others (e.g., buses, trains,
phobias: These giving a speech). ships, planes).
involve a fear of o Being in open
specific situations, spaces (e.g.,
such as flying, parking lots,
riding in a car or on marketplaces,
public bridges).
transportation, o Being in
driving, going over enclosed
bridges or in places (e.g.,
tunnels, or of being shops,
in a closed-in theaters,
place, like an cinemas).
elevator. o Standing in line
• Natural or being in a
environment crowd.
 phobias: Examples Being outside of the home
include the fear of alone
storms, heights, or
water.
• Blood-injection-
injury phobias:
These involve a fear
of being injured, of
seeing blood or of
invasive medical
procedures, such
as blood tests or
injections.
• Other phobias:
These include a
fear of falling down,
a fear of loud
sounds, and a fear
of costumed
characters, such as
clowns.

Duration • The fear, anxiety, or • The fear, anxiety, or • The fear, anxiety, or
avoidance is avoidance is avoidance is
persistent, typically persistent, typically persistent, typically
lasting for 6 months lasting for 6 months lasting for 6 months or
or more or more. more.

• Almost always provokes immediate fear or anxiety.

COMMON TO ALL 3 • Is actively avoided or endured with intense fear or anxiety.
• The fear or anxiety is out of proportion to the actual danger posed by the
specific object or situation and to the sociocultural context.
• The fear, anxiety, or avoidance causes clinically significant distress or
impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
• The disturbance is not better explained by the symptoms of another mental
disorder