Table : TABLE 6.12 • Specific Phobia Facts at a Glance
Prevalence
  • Approximately 10% of Americans will experience in their lifetime a fear severe enough to meet the criteria for specific phobia (Stinson et al., 2007).
    • Comorbidity
  • Only a quarter of those with a diagnosis of specific phobia have a single specific phobia; 50% have three or more phobias. In addition, the more phobias a person has, the more likely he or she is to have another type of anxiety disorder (Curtis et al., 1998; Stinson et al., 2007).
    • Onset
  • There are different ages of onset for the various types of specific phobia, although they typically begin in childhood; the average age is approximately 10 years (Stinson et al., 2007).
  • Specific phobia that arises after trauma can occur at any age.
    • Course
  • Specific phobia that arises during childhood and persists through adulthood is less likely to improve without treatment.
    • Gender Differences
  • Twice as many women are diagnosed with specific phobia as men, although this ratio varies across type of specific phobia (Stinson et al., 2007).
    • Cultural Differences
  • The prevalence rates of the various types of specific phobia vary across countries, suggesting that cultural factors, such as the likelihood of coming into contact with various stimuli, affect the form that specific phobia takes (Chambers et al., 1986).
    • Source: Unless otherwise noted, information in the table is from American Psychiatric Association, 2013.