Abnormal psychology phobias

Definition of Anxiety Disorders

Disorders characterized by excessive fear or anxiety and related behavioral disturbances.

Fear vs. Anxiety

Fear is a response to imminent threat; anxiety is the anticipation of future threat.

Disorders under Anxiety Disorders

Separation Anxiety Disorder, Selective Mutism, Specific Phobias, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

What defines a specific phobia?

Irrational, intense fear of a specific object or situation that causes avoidance and distress.

Minimum duration for diagnosis

6 months.

Most effective treatment

Exposure-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

Typical age of onset

Before age 10, with a mean age of around 10.

Phobia subtype causing fainting

Blood-injection-injury type (due to vasovagal response).

More commonly affected gender

Females, approximately 2:1 ratio.

Prevalence in US teens

16%.

Five specifier types

Animal, natural environment, situational, blood-injection-injury, other.

Shared risk factor with anxiety disorders

Negative affectivity (neuroticism).

Criteria A

Marked fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation.

Criteria B

The phobic object or situation almost always provokes immediate fear or anxiety.

Criteria C

The object is actively avoided or endured with intense fear or anxiety.

Criteria D

Fear is out of proportion to actual danger and sociocultural context.

Criteria E

Fear, anxiety, or avoidance lasts 6 months or more.

Criteria F

Causes clinically significant distress or impairment.

Criteria G

Not better explained by another mental disorder.

Temperamental risk factors

Neuroticism and behavioral inhibition.

Environmental risk factors

Traumatic experiences or learned associations.

Genetic risk factor for animal phobia

First-degree relative with same phobia.

Older adult symptom presentation

Through physical symptoms, health complaints, or cognitive changes.

Phobia type with later onset

Situational (e.g., elevators, airplanes).

Percent with multiple phobias

Approximately 75%.

Diagnosis method for specific phobia

Clinical interview, questionnaires, and ruling out other disorders.

Common behavioral treatments for phobia

Systematic desensitization and exposure therapy.

Tourette's Disorder - Symptomatology

Multiple motor tics and at least one vocal tic occurring for over a year, with onset before age 18.

Tourette's Disorder - Course of Development

Usually begins between ages 4-6, peaks around 10-12, and often improves in adolescence.

Tourette's Disorder - Prevalence

Affects about 1% of children; more common in males (3-4 times more than females).

Tourette's Disorder - Risk and Prognosis Factors

Genetic predisposition, prenatal stress, low birth weight, and environmental triggers.

Tourette's Disorder - Functional Consequences

Social stigma, academic struggles, peer rejection, and emotional distress from tic visibility.

Tourette's Disorder - Comorbidity

Commonly occurs with ADHD, OCD, anxiety, learning disabilities, and mood disorders.

Tourette's Disorder - Treatment

Behavioral therapy (Habit Reversal Training), medications (e.g., risperidone, clonidine), and CBIT.