Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden.
J Anxiety Disord. 2011 Jan;25(1):148-53. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.08.014. Epub 2010 Sep 24.
This population-based study reports on the prevalence and characteristics of specific phobia (SP) and phobic fears in an elderly population. A representative population sample of Swedish 70-year-olds without dementia (N = 558) was examined using semi-structured interviews. Phobic fears included fear of animals, natural environment, specific situations, blood-injection-injury and 'other'. Mental disorders, including SP, were diagnosed according to DSM-IV. Phobic fears (71.0% vs. 37.9%) and SP (13.8% vs. 4.5%) were more common in women than in men. Among those with phobic fears, more than 80% reported onset before age 21. Of those with SP, 35.7% had another DSM-IV diagnosis compared to 8.5% of those reporting no fear. Fear of specific situations and 'other' fears were related to SP and other anxiety disorders. SP was related to lower global functioning. We conclude that specific phobia in the elderly should receive attention from health professionals as it is common and associated with a decrease in global functioning.
本基于人群的研究报告了老年人群中特定恐惧症（SP）和恐惧症的患病率和特征。使用半结构化访谈对无痴呆的瑞典 70 岁代表性人群样本（N=558）进行了检查。恐惧症包括对动物、自然环境、特定情况、血液注射伤害和“其他”的恐惧。根据 DSM-IV 诊断精神障碍，包括 SP。恐惧症（71.0%比 37.9%）和 SP（13.8%比 4.5%）在女性中比男性更常见。在有恐惧症的人群中，超过 80%的人报告发病年龄在 21 岁之前。在有 SP 的人群中，35.7%的人有其他 DSM-IV 诊断，而报告无恐惧的人群中只有 8.5%。对特定情况和“其他”恐惧的恐惧与 SP 和其他焦虑障碍有关。SP 与较低的整体功能有关。我们得出结论，老年人的特定恐惧症应该引起卫生专业人员的关注，因为它很常见，并与整体功能下降有关。
