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Emetophobia: Preliminary results of an internet survey
Author(s) -
Lipsitz Joshua D.,
Fyer Abby J.,
Paterniti Anthea,
Klein Donald F.
Publication year - 2001
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/da.1058
Subject(s) - panic , anxiety , depression (economics) , psychiatry , psychology , marital status , social anxiety , clinical psychology , medicine , environmental health , population , economics , macroeconomics
Through electronic mail, we surveyed members of an internet support group for emetophobia (fear of vomiting). Respondents were 50 women and 6 men with a mean age of 31 years. Results suggest that, for this sample, emetophobia is a disorder of early onset and chronic course, with highly persistent and intrusive symptoms. Emetophobia is implicated in social, home‐marital, and occupational impairment and it causes significant constriction of leisure activities. Nearly half of women avoided or delayed becoming pregnant. About three quarters of respondents have eating rituals or significantly limit the foods they eat. Respondents describe other problems such as depression, panic attacks, social anxiety, compulsions, and frequent history of childhood separation anxiety. Depression and Anxiety 14:149–152, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.