Specific fears and phobias in the general population: results from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS).
OBJECTIVE
To examine the prevalence rate, impairment, comorbidity, course of illness and determinants of eight specific phobia variants: animals (animal subtype); heights, water, storms (natural environment subtype); flying, enclosed spaces, being alone (situational subtype); and blood/injury (blood/injury subtype).


METHODS
Data were obtained from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study, a prospective study in the Dutch general population aged 18-65 (N = 7,076).


RESULTS
The most prevalent condition was specific phobia with a fear of heights (4.9%). On all parameters except duration, specific phobia with a fear of being alone emerged as the most severe condition. Phobias with fear of enclosed spaces and phobias with fear of blood showed a slightly greater likelihood of impairment, comorbidity and personality problems than phobias with fear of animals, heights, water or storms.


CONCLUSIONS
The situational and blood/injury phobia subtypes appear to be a more significant index for impairments and for comorbid psychiatric disorders than the animal and natural environment phobia subtypes.
Depla
Marja F I A
MF
Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, Trimbos Institute, Da Costakade 45, 3521 VS Utrecht, The Netherlands. mdepla@trimbos.nl
ten Have
Margreet L
ML
van Balkom
Anton J L M
AJ
de Graaf
Ron
R
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires