Prevalence and Characterization of Specific Phobia Disorder in People over 65 Years Old in a Madrid Community Sample (Spain) and its Relationship to Quality of Life

Abstract

The prevalence of anxiety disorders over the last year among seniors ranged from 3.6% to 17.2%. The most prevalent disorders are specific phobias. Data are needed concerning the consequences of specific phobia disorder on the level of functioning and quality of life of older people, the age of onset of specific phobia disorder, and the duration of episodes. In total, 555 community-dwelling people aged between 65 and 84 years who lived in Madrid (Spain) were assessed (Composite International Diagnostic Interview for people over 65 years (CIDI65+), WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS II), Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Older Adults (HoNOS65+), World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief (WHOQOL-BREF). Prevalence rates and odds ratio, t-tests, binary logistic regression, and point-biserial correlations were calculated. A total of 12.07% of the sample suffered a specific phobia disorder over the last year. The average age at onset of the specific phobia was 38.78 (sd = 21.61) years. The mean duration of the phobia was approximately 20 (sd = 20) years. A significant effect of the specific phobia was found for the current levels of functioning and quality of life: WHOQOL-BREF total score (p < 0.05), WHODAS II overall score (p < 0.01), and HoNOS65+ total score (p < 0.001). Having specific phobia disorder decreased the level of functioning and negatively affected the quality of life. These data suggest the need for primary healthcare professionals to include the detection of specific phobia disorders in their protocols because people do not receive treatment for this problem, and they might carry it throughout their lives.

The development and initial tests for the psychometric properties of the COVID-19 Phobia Scale (C19P-S)

“…Considering the situation and the environment, the individual's "disproportionate" fear and anxiety response is sufficient for diagnosis (APA, 2013). Specific phobias can trigger other anxiety disorders and are reported to comorbid with suicidal tendency, major depression, anxiety disorders, and physical, mental, or mood disorders (Ausín, Muñoz, Castellanos, & García, 2020;Corchs et al, 2006;Keyes, Deale, Foster, & Veale, 2020;Witthauer et al, 2016).…”

Tips for Effective Implementation of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy in Phobias—A Systematic Review

“…All these phobias are common in the population. In the group of adults, the prevalence of specific phobias is estimated at 5–12% ( 1 , 2 ), social phobia at 2.4% ( 3 ), and agoraphobia at 2.3% ( 4 ). All phobias may lead to a significant disability and impairment in everyday functioning, with the loss of social and professional roles ( 5 ).…”

Specific Phobia Disorder Symptoms in People over 65 in Madrid: A Network Analysis

“…animal-specific phobia than men and twice as likely to suffer from one related to the natural environment than men. In addition to this, anxiety disorders worsen the quality of life and level of functioning of people over 65 years old (Ausín et al, 2020;Canuto et al, 2017;Grassi et al, 2020). Concerning SPD, results are found in the same line, where it decreases the level of functioning and negatively affects the quality of life of people over 65 years old (Ausín et al, 2020).…”

“…The stability in SPD symptom networks over time, and therefore between the two age groups, could be explained by the stability of the disorder itself. In this regard, Ausín et al (2020) find that the mean duration of the phobia was approximately 20 years, and that people would adapt to living with this SPD by trying to minimize the interference of these symptoms in their everyday life.…”

“…Older women are at a higher risk of suffering from an anxiety disorder over the past year than men, and there is a negative correlation between age and the prevalence of that anxiety disorder (Canuto et al, 2017). In regard to the prevalence of specific phobia disorder (SPD) among people over 65 years old, a recent study shows a 12-month prevalence of approximately 12% (Ausín et al, 2020). These authors found that women were more than twice as likely to suffer from a specific phobia disorder than men; furthermore, its prevalence decreased with age in both genders.…”