Specific Phobia
Marked fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation (e.g., flying, heights, animals, receiving an injection, seeing blood).
Etiology (Biopsychosocial Model)
Biological: Genetic predisposition for behavioral inhibition.
Psychological: Traumatic experiences, classical conditioning.
Social: Modeling by parents, cultural narratives about fear stimuli.
Symptoms & Diagnosis (Mnemonic: FEARS)
F - Fear is excessive and persistent (≥6 months)
E - Exposure provokes immediate anxiety response
A - Avoidance of phobic object/situation
R - Reactions are out of proportion to actual danger
S - Significant distress/impairment in functioning
Treatment
CBT with exposure therapy: Most effective; involves gradual exposure to the feared object or situation.
Systematic desensitization and relaxation training: Helps reduce anxiety responses.
Virtual reality exposure: Useful for certain phobias where real-life exposure is difficult.
Pharmacotherapy: Beta-blockers or benzodiazepines may be used in specific cases.
Info
DSM-5-TR Code
F40.2
Prevalence
7–9% annually in the U.S.
More common in females (2:1 ratio).