title: Evidence for fear of restriction and fear of suffocation as components of claustrophobia.
abstract: Recent investigations of the aetiology and treatment of specific phobias have focused on clarifying the concerns underlying phobic anxiety. It has been proposed that claustrophobic fear is comprised of separable confinement and suffocation components. This paper presents data from 78 general medical outpatients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in two major teaching hospitals. The findings support the two factor structure of claustrophobia, in that exposure to confinement reduced confinement subscale scores, but did not influence suffocation scores.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Menzies
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000523:psychology*; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies