Fast Five Quiz: Common Phobias

Studies indicate that the prevalence of specific phobias ranges from 3% to 15%; phobias concerning heights and animals are the most common.

The following specifiers are used in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5):

• Animal: fear of dogs (cynophobia), cats (ailurophobia), bees (apiphobia), spiders (arachnophobia), snakes (ophidiophobia), or other animals

• Natural environment: fear of heights (acrophobia), water (hydrophobia), or thunderstorms (astraphobia)

• Blood-injection-injury: fear of needles (trypanophobia) or invasive medical procedures

• Situational: fear of flying (aviophobia), elevators, or enclosed spaces (claustrophobia)

• Other: fear of situations that may lead to choking or vomiting (emetophobia); in children, loud sounds (phonophobia) or costumed characters (masklophobia)

Read more about types of phobic disorders.

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Cite this: Stephen Soreff. Fast Five Quiz: Common Phobias - Medscape - Oct 20, 2020.