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Simple phobia as a comorbid anxiety disorder
Author(s) -
Goisman Robert M.,
Allsworth Jenifer,
Rogers Malcolm P.,
Warshaw Meredith G.,
Goldenberg Idell,
Vasile Russell G.,
RodriguezVilla Fernando,
Mallya Gopinath,
Keller Martin B
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
depression and anxiety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.634
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1520-6394
pISSN - 1091-4269
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1520-6394(1998)7:3<105::aid-da2>3.0.co;2-a
Subject(s) - phobias , anxiety , panic disorder , psychology , psychosocial , anxiety disorder , specific phobia , clinical psychology , phobic disorder , psychiatry , panic , comorbidity
This study sought to describe clinical and demographic characteristics differentiating patients with DSM‐III‐R simple phobias comorbid with one or more of five DSM‐III‐R index anxiety disorders as compared with those with the index diagnoses alone. From 711 subjects participating in a multicenter, longitudinal, naturalistic study of anxiety disorders, 115 subjects with comorbid simple phobias were compared with 596 subjects without simple phobias in terms of demographic data, comorbidity with other disorders, somatic and psychosocial treatment received, and quality of life. In addition, episode characteristics, types of simple phobias found, and course of illness were specified. Subjects with simple phobias had more additional comorbid anxiety disorders by history than did those without. Mean length of intake episode was 22.43 years and severity was typically moderate. Fears of heights and animals were the most commonly represented simple phobias. Subjects with uncomplicated panic disorder were less likely to have comorbid simple phobias than were subjects with other index diagnoses, and subjects with simple phobia were more likely to have comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder than were those without simple phobia. Subjects with and without simple phobias did not differ by somatic or psychosocial treatment received or in terms of quality of life. Simple phobia appeared in this study to be a chronic illness of moderate severity for which behavioral treatment methods of recognized efficacy were not being frequently utilized. Uncomplicated panic disorder may reflect some type of resistance to phobia development. Depression and Anxiety 7:105–112, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.