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.
Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, Trimbos Institute, Da Costakade 45, 3521 VS Utrecht, The Netherlands. mdepla@trimbos.nl
Marja F I A
MF
Depla
Margreet L
ML
ten Have
Anton J L M
AJ
van Balkom
Ron
R
de Graaf
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