How to Say It: Clah-stro-fo-bee-ah
Claustrophobia is a fear of closed-in or small spaces.
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The cause is not known. It may be a mix of genes and environment.
Things that may raise the risk of this problem are:
Claustrophobia starts during the child or teen years.
Problems may be:
A person may also:
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. This is often enough to make the diagnosis.
Claustrophobia may go away on its own. Others may need treatment to manage the fear. Options are:
There are no known guidelines to prevent this health problem.
American Psychiatric Association
https://www.psychiatry.org
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
https://adaa.org
Canadian Mental Health Association
https://cmha.ca
Canadian Psychiatric Association
https://www.cpa-apc.org
Anxiety disorders. National Institute of Mental Health website. Available at: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml. Accessed November 18, 2020.
LeBeau RT, Glenn D, et al. Specific phobia: a review of DSM-IV specific phobia and preliminary recommendations for DSM-V. Depress Anxiety. 2010 Feb;27(2):148-167.
Specific phobia. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/specific-phobia. Accessed November 18, 2020.
Treatment. Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Available at: https://adaa.org/finding-help/treatment. Accessed November 18, 2020.
Last reviewed September 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Adrian Preda, MD Last Updated: 04/14/2021
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