Specific Phobias

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladan Starcevic, MD, PhD
Keyword(s):  
Specific Phobia ◽  
Treatment Model ◽  
Injury Type ◽  
Injection Injury ◽  
Specific Phobias ◽  
Blood Injection ◽  
Psychiatric Conditions ◽  
Phobic Stimuli ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Dominant Treatment

Specific phobias (also referred to as simple phobias and isolated phobias) represent a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by excessive and/or irrational fear of one of relatively few and usually related objects, situations, places, phenomena, or activities (phobic stimuli). The phobic stimuli are either avoided or endured with intense anxiety or discomfort. People with specific phobias are aware that their fear is unreasonable, but this does not diminish the intensity of the fear. Rather, they are quite distressed about being afraid or feel handicapped by their phobia. Specific phobias are frequently encountered in the general population, but they are relatively uncommon in the clinical setting. Most phobias have a remarkable tendency to persist, prompting an assumption that they cannot be easily extinguished because of their ‘‘purpose’’ to protect against danger. Specific phobias are deceptively simple, as they are easy to describe and recognize but often difficult to understand. There are several conceptual problems and a number of issues associated with specific phobias:… 1. Where are the boundaries of specific phobias? How can we develop better criteria on the basis of which specific phobia could be distinguished as a psychiatric disorder from fears and avoidance considered to be within the realm of ‘‘normality?’’ 2. How can specific phobias be taken seriously by both the sufferers and clinicians? 3. In view of the considerable differences between various types of specific phobias, should they continue to be grouped together? 4. Should specific phobias be grouped on the basis of whether they are driven by fear or disgust? 5. In view of its unique features, should the blood-injection-injury type of specific phobia be given a separate psychopathological, diagnostic, and nosological status? 6. Considering a significant overlap between situational phobias and agoraphobia, should they be grouped together, along a hypothetical situational phobia/agoraphobia spectrum? 7. What is the relationship between specific phobias and other psychopathology? Are they relatively isolated from other disorders, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, or should they more appropriately be conceptualized as a predisposition to or a risk factor for some psychiatric conditions? 8. How specific are pathways that lead to specific phobias? 9. Has the dominant treatment model for specific phobias, based on exposure therapy, exhausted its potential? Is the tendency for specific phobias to persist adequately addressed by treatments derived from learning theory?

Cognitive Factors in the Maintenance of Injection Phobia

1995 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig White ◽  
William Sellwood
Keyword(s):  
American Psychiatric Association ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Specific Phobia ◽  
Cognitive Factors ◽  
Injection Injury ◽  
Full Compliance ◽  
Applied Tension ◽  
History Of ◽  
Blood Injection ◽  
Dsm Iv

Injection phobia is a “specific phobia” (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) in which affected individuals display an atypical physiological response pattern resulting in vasovagal hypotensive fainting on prolonged exposure. Between 50–60% of people with injection phobia report a history of fainting when confronted with their phobic situation. Applied tension has been demonstrated to be an effective therapeutic intervention for blood phobia in which similar vasovagal responses occur (Öst, Fellenius and Stelner, 1991). It has been shown that cognitive factors can prevent engagement with the treatment of phobic disorders. A case meeting DSM-IV criteria for specific phobia, blood-injection-injury type (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) is described. It illustrates that cognitive factors may prevent full compliance with applied tension and that behavioural experimentation is a useful strategy for dealing with such phenomena.

The epidemiology of blood-injection-injury phobia

1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 1129-1136 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. JOSEPH BIENVENU ◽  
WILLIAM W. EATON
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
General Health ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Health Treatment ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Injection Injury ◽  
Blood Injection ◽  
Psychiatric Conditions ◽  
Blood Injection Injury Phobia

Background. We report the prevalence, clinical characteristics, frequency of mental health treatment, demographic correlates, frequency of co-morbid psychiatric conditions, and general health ramifications of DSM-IV blood-injection-injury phobia in the general population.Method. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule (version III-R), which included questions on blood-injection-injury phobia, was administered to 1920 subjects in the Baltimore ECA Follow-up Study.Results. The estimated unweighted lifetime prevalence of blood-injection-injury phobia was 3·5%. The median age of onset was 5·5 years; 78% had had symptoms within the last 6 months. Subjects with blood-injection-injury phobia (cases) had higher lifetime histories of fainting and seizures than those without (non-cases). None reported seeking mental health treatment specifically for phobia. Prevalences were lower in the elderly and higher in females and persons with less education. Cases had significantly higher than expected lifetime prevalences of other psychiatric conditions, including marijuana abuse/dependence, major depression, obsessive–compulsive disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia and other simple phobia. Cases and non-cases did not differ with regard to usual health-care settings, regular care for specific medical conditions, numbers of out-patient visits or hospitalizations, or previous general anaesthesia or live births. However, diabetics with blood-injection-injury phobia had higher than expected rates of macrovascular complications.Conclusion. Blood-injection-injury phobia is common, especially in females and those with less education, and it is associated with several co-morbid psychiatric conditions. No strong, broad general health ramifications of this phobia are apparent. However, diabetics with this phobia appear at particular risk for complications; this deserves further study.

scholarly journals Blood-injection-injury phobia in older adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 897-902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beyon Miloyan ◽  
William W. Eaton
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Epidemiological Survey ◽  
Specific Phobia ◽  
Injection Injury ◽  
History Of ◽  
Health Significance ◽  
Blood Injection ◽  
Blood Injection Injury Phobia ◽  
Nationally Representative

ABSTRACTBackground:This study aims to (i) estimate the prevalence of blood-injection-injury phobia (BIIP) diagnosed as present at any time during the life prior to the interview, with or without another Specific Phobia diagnosed as present during the 12 months prior to the interview, (ii) characterize types and frequencies of co-occurring fears, (iii) evaluate the association with chronic medical conditions and lifetime psychiatric comorbidity, and (iv) explore medical service use associations in a nationally representative sample of older adults.Methods:A sample of 8,205 older adults, aged 65 years or older, was derived from Wave 1 of the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC).Results:The weighted lifetime prevalence of BIIP with and without 12-month Specific Phobia was 0.6% (95% CI: 0.4–0.8) and 4.2% (95% CI: 3.7–4.8), respectively, and these two groups ranked similarly in terms of sociodemographic, health, and psychiatric characteristics. BIIP most frequently co-occurred with other lifetime fears, and was positively associated with hypertension and lifetime history of anxiety and personality disorders after controlling for sociodemographic and psychiatric confounders.Conclusions:Our findings suggest that lifetime BIIP may bear mental and physical health significance in older adults.

Medical Avoidance and Anxiety in Subtypes of Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig N. Sawchuk ◽  
Suzanne A. Meunier ◽  
Jeffrey M. Lohr ◽  
David F. Tolin
Keyword(s):  
Injection Injury ◽  
Blood Injection ◽  
Blood Injection Injury Phobia

Transnational Social Movements and Peaceful Change

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Milcíades Peña
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Political Violence ◽  
Global Civil Society ◽  
Dynamic Processes ◽  
Transnational Social Movements ◽  
Relational Perspective ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Interactive Dynamic ◽  
Dominant Treatment

The chapter discusses the relationship between social movements and peaceful change. First, it reviews the way this relationship has been elaborated in IR constructivist and critical analyses, as part of transnational activist networks, global civil society, and transnational social movements, while considering the blind sides left by the dominant treatment of these entities as positive moral actors. Second, the chapter reviews insights from the revolution and political violence literature, a literature usually sidelined in IR debates about civil society, in order to cast a wider relational perspective on how social movements participate in, and are affected by, interactive dynamic processes that may escalate into violent outcomes at both local and international levels.

scholarly journals Do delusions have and give meaning?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Ritunnano ◽  
Lisa Bortolotti
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Psychology ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Philosophical Perspective ◽  
Philosophical Literature ◽  
Psychiatric Conditions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Phenomenological Psychopathology

AbstractDelusions are often portrayed as paradigmatic instances of incomprehensibility and meaninglessness. Here we investigate the relationship between delusions and meaning from a philosophical perspective, integrating arguments and evidence from cognitive psychology and phenomenological psychopathology. We review some of the empirical and philosophical literature relevant to two claims about delusions and meaning: (1) delusions are meaningful, despite being described as irrational and implausible beliefs; (2) some delusions can also enhance the sense that one’s life is meaningful, supporting agency and creativity in some circumstances. Delusions are not incomprehensible representations of reality. Rather, they can help make sense of one’s unusual experiences and in some circumstances even support one’s endeavours, albeit temporarily and imperfectly. Acknowledging that delusions have meaning and can also give meaning to people’s lives has implications for our understanding of psychotic symptoms and for addressing the stigma associated with psychiatric conditions.

Examination of the decline in fear and disgust during exposure to threat-relevant stimuli in blood–injection–injury phobia

2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 445-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bunmi O. Olatunji ◽  
Jasper A.J. Smits ◽  
Kevin Connolly ◽  
Jeffrey Willems ◽  
Jeffrey M. Lohr
Keyword(s):  
Injection Injury ◽  
Blood Injection ◽  
Blood Injection Injury Phobia

Depression and Anxiety as Mediators of PTSD Symptom Clusters and Pain in Treatment-Seeking Canadian Forces Members and Veterans

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maya Roth ◽  
Lisa King ◽  
Don Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Ptsd Symptom ◽  
Symptom Clusters ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Sf 36 ◽  
Pain Subscale ◽  
Psychiatric Conditions ◽  
Pain Symptoms ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACT Introduction Chronic pain (CP) commonly presents alongside psychiatric conditions such as depression, PTSD, and generalized anxiety. The current study sought to better understand this complex relationship by determining whether anxiety and depression symptom severity mediated the relationship between DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters and pain symptoms in a sample of 663 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel and veterans seeking treatment for mental health conditions. Materials and Methods Generalized anxiety disorder, depression, and PTSD symptom severity were measured using self-report scales provided as part of a standard intake protocol. Pain symptoms were measured using the Bodily Pain subscale of the SF-36 (SF-36 BPS). Linear regressions were used to explore the relationship between PTSD symptom clusters, depression, anxiety, and pain. Bootstrapped resampling analyses were employed to test mediation effects. Results The average SF-36 BPS score in this sample was 36.6, nearly 1.5 SDs below the population health status, enforcing the salience of pain symptoms as a concern for veterans and CAF seeking treatment for military-related psychiatric conditions. The effects of PTSD symptom clusters avoidance, negative mood and cognitions, and arousal on pain were fully mediated by anxiety and depression severity. However, the effect of intrusion on pain was not mediated by depression and only partly mediated by anxiety. Conclusion Findings emphasize the importance of including anxiety and depression in models of PTSD and pain, particularly in samples where psychiatric comorbidity is high. Clinically, results highlight the need for improved treatment regimens that address pain symptoms alongside common psychiatric comorbidities.

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