Lets Discuss Phobias

Dr. William Eaton describes phobias to include fear and avoidance (Eaton et al., 2020) in his study. He explains that most phobias will begin in childhood, though will maintain maximum strength in midlife and late in life. The authors noted that most people do not receive help for their phobias. Furthermore, the risk factors of such phobias have not had very much research. Most individuals with phobias tend to be women, and phobias are likely when other people within one’s family also have them. 

Throughout the study, educational levels, marital status, and residence were studied to determine the relationship between these demographics and phobias. Findings suggest that those with less than a high school educational level tend to have the highest rate of phobias in the sample, while college graduates have the lowest. Further, widows were reported to have the highest chance of phobias, while those who never married had the least. 

Lastly, place of residence (rural, suburban, and city) showed to have similar results, though rural residents had the greatest likelihood of such phobias.  One limitation of this study is that there were only three or four subcategories in the demographic characteristics, and three demographic factors, having only eleven options in total. However, that does go to say that the results are unimportant. Another limitation example includes that formerly married and widowed people are more likely to battle depression, and therefore could serve as an additional risk factor. 

Though only about 10-25% of individuals receive therapy services for phobias, those who do often embark on exposure therapy. According to Eaton et al., it can involve phobic stimuli or even virtual reality. The authors ended their concluding paper by stating that it would be helpful for future studies to learn more about treatment for such phobias.

Edited by TLC Intern: Sydney M