title: Specific phobia.
abstract: This article describes specific phobia of childhood and its clinical presentation, discusses issues related to the differential diagnosis of specific phobia, considers the issue of comorbidity among phobic and anxiety disorders and developmental trends in the manifestation of fears, summarizes the epidemiology, causes, and course of specific phobia, and presents assessment and treatment issues. Finally, a case study is offered that serves to illuminate the major topics outlined in the article.
authors.affiliation: Child Anxiety and Phobia Program, Child and Family Psychosocial Research Center, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, University Park Campus, Miami, FL 33199, USA. silverw@fiu.edu
authors.forename: Wendy K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Silverman
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moreno
mesh_terms: D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy