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Chapter: Medicine Study Notes : Psychological Medicine

Specific Phobia and Social Phobia

Persistent and irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation

Specific Phobia

 

·        Persistent and irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation


·        Leads to avoidance or intense anxiety on exposure to feared stimulus


·        Fear recognised as excessive


·        Disruptive to functioning (important – who cares about a snake phobia in NZ)


·        Can also be anxious about fear reaction 


·        Usually related to animals (mice, snakes, spiders), natural environment (earthquakes), blood, injection or injury; specific situations (eg claustrophobia)


·        Develop due to:

o  Direct conditioning through personal experience

o  Verbal or vicarious transmission (eg develop shark phobia after watching Jaws)


·        Treatment:

o  Graded exposure

o  Cognitive restructuring

o  Physiological control: relaxation and medication (short-term only)

 

Social Phobia

 

·        Fear of negative evaluation of performance in social situations. Fear they will do or say something embarrassing or humiliating. Fear visible anxiety symptoms

 

·        Probability and cost of negative evaluation is over-estimated


·        Early onset


·        Leads to avoidance of social gatherings, public travel, etc

 

·        Epidemiology: 6 month prevalence is 2 per 100, more females, onset in teens through to 35 ® social isolation

 

·        Aetiology: ?conditioned response, genetics

 


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Medicine Study Notes : Psychological Medicine : Specific Phobia and Social Phobia |

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Medicine Study Notes : Psychological Medicine


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