title: Pure animal phobia is more specific than other specific phobias: epidemiological evidence from the Zurich Study, the ZInEP and the PsyCoLaus.
abstract: Interest in subtypes of mental disorders is growing in parallel with continuing research progress in psychiatry. The aim of this study was to examine pure animal phobia in contrast to other specific phobias and a mixed subtype. Data from three representative Swiss community samples were analysed: PsyCoLaus (n = 3720), the ZInEP Epidemiology Survey (n = 1500) and the Zurich Study (n = 591). Pure animal phobia and mixed animal/other specific phobias consistently displayed a low age at onset of first symptoms (8-12 years) and clear preponderance of females (OR > 3). Meanwhile, other specific phobias started up to 10 years later and displayed almost a balanced sex ratio. Pure animal phobia showed no associations with any included risk factors and comorbid disorders, in contrast to numerous associations found in the mixed subtype and in other specific phobias. Across the whole range of epidemiological parameters examined in three different samples, pure animal phobia seems to represent a different entity compared to other specific phobias. The etiopathogenetic mechanisms and risk factors associated with pure animal phobias appear less clear than ever.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, PO Box 1930, 8021, Zurich, Switzerland. vajdacic@dgsp.uzh.ch.|ZInEP, The Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. vajdacic@dgsp.uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Vladeta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ajdacic-Gross
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, PO Box 1930, 8021, Zurich, Switzerland.|ZInEP, The Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rodgers
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, PO Box 1930, 8021, Zurich, Switzerland.|ZInEP, The Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: ZInEP, The Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.|Department of Applied Psychology, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hengartner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, PO Box 1930, 8021, Zurich, Switzerland.|ZInEP, The Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aleksandrowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, PO Box 1930, 8021, Zurich, Switzerland.|ZInEP, The Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Wolfram
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kawohl
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, PO Box 1930, 8021, Zurich, Switzerland.|ZInEP, The Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Heekeren
authors.affiliation: ZInEP, The Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.|Collegium Helveticum, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland.|Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27), Institute of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wulf
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rössler
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, PO Box 1930, 8021, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jules
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Angst
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Castelao
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vandeleur
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Preisig
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000145:classification* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Animal phobia; Comorbidity; Epidemiology; Methodology; Risk factors; Specific phobia