Arachnophobia and Fear of Other Insects: Efficacy and Lessons Learned from Treatment Process

摘要: The pathological fear of animals, spiders, bugs, mice, cats, or snakes, among others, can be severe enough to considered a specific phobia according the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) International Classification Diseases 10 (ICD-10) classifications. It falls under animal subtype in both Using data from Epidemiological Catchment Area Survey, Bourdon et al. revealed that lifetime prevalence phobias snakes is about 7 % women 2 men. more reliable estimates National Comorbidity Curtis found rate 5.7 non-pathological fears animals around 25.8 %. Fredrickson reported point (actual rates at time assessment) 5.5 for snake 3.5 spider phobia. More recently, large epidemiological study conducted USA 4.7 subtype-specific general population. Since majority studies using virtual reality (VR) have been on theoretical context this chapter will focus mostly arachnophobia. However, VR described here.