eMedicine Specialties > Pediatrics: Developmental and Behavioral > Medical Topics

Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobia: Follow-up

Author: Sandra L Friedman, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard University Medical School; Director of Pediatrics, LEND/UCEDD, Department of Medicine, Division of General Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Boston
Coauthor(s): Kerim M Munir, MD, MPH, DSc, Director of Psychiatry, LEND/UCEDD, Division of General Pediatrics, Dir of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (MHDD) Training Prog, Children's Hospital Boston; Marilyn T Erickson, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Dec 5, 2008

Follow-up

Inpatient & Outpatient Medications

  • Specific phobia (SP) alone does not require inpatient treatment. See Medication.

Deterrence/Prevention

  • Intervention programs
  • Gradual exposure programs
  • Cognitive behavioral interventions

Prognosis

  • Prognosis is good with appropriate treatment; some specific phobias persist into adulthood.
  • Poor response to therapy may be secondary to poor compliance, motivation, or understanding of treatment procedures. Interpersonal factors may also interfere with treatment results.
  • Fears that persist into adulthood tend to be chronic unless treated.
  • Patients may be at increased risk for future anxiety disorders.
  • Self-medication with alcohol and drugs in adults that has been reported with some anxiety disorders is not commonly reported in patients with specific phobia.8

Patient Education

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Failure to diagnose
  • Failure to appropriately prescribe and monitor medication usage, if indicated
 
Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the support of T73 MC00020 grant from HRSA/MCH Bureau (SLF, KMM), MH071286 from NIMH/NIH (KMM), and D43 TW05807 from FIC/NIH (KMM).



More on Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobia

Overview: Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobia
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobia
Treatment & Medication: Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobia
Follow-up: Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobia
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

anxiety disorder, specific phobia, SP, simple phobia, fears, fear, morbid dread, panic, animal phobia, zoophobia, blood-injection-injury phobia, environmental phobia, situational phobia, environmental-situational phobia, phobic avoidance, persistent fear, irrational fear, tremor, fainting, shaking, tantrums, behavioral inhibition, unreasonable fear, excessive fear, height phobia, fear of heights, claustrophobia, social phobia, major depressive disorder

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Sandra L Friedman, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard University Medical School; Director of Pediatrics, LEND/UCEDD, Department of Medicine, Division of General Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Boston
Sandra L Friedman, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics and American Medical Directors Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Kerim M Munir, MD, MPH, DSc, Director of Psychiatry, LEND/UCEDD, Division of General Pediatrics, Dir of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (MHDD) Training Prog, Children's Hospital Boston
Kerim M Munir, MD, MPH, DSc is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and American Psychiatric Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Marilyn T Erickson, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Chet Johnson, MD, Medical Director, Child Development Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Professor, University of Kansas Medical Center
Chet Johnson, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Mary L Windle, PharmD, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Pfizer Inc Stock Investment from financial planner; Avanir Pharma Stock Investment from financial planner ; WebMD Salary and stock Employment and investment from financial planner

CME Editor

Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP, Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine
Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP is a member of the following medical societies: Ambulatory Pediatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Society of Hospital Medicine
Disclosure: Baxter Honoraria Consulting

Chief Editor

Caroly Pataki, MD, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Division Chair, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Director of Training, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Program, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine
Caroly Pataki, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York Academy of Sciences, and Physicians for Social Responsibility
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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