title: Blood-injury-illness phobia: a review.
abstract: The empirical literature that pertains to phobias of blood, injury, or illness (BII) is surveyed. BII phobia is selectively associated with a vasovagal fainting response upon exposure to phobic stimuli, and the clinical entity may represent an exaggeration of a response that is relatively prevalent in the general population. Clinical, demographic and etiological information obtained from a series of 15 BII phobics is presented, and the suggestion is made that this disorder warrants a diagnostic category separate from simple phobia.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D001769:Blood; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000523:psychology; D004194:Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D013575:Syncope / Q000209:etiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries