Phobia

Question 1

Anxiety

(2)

Answer 1

• state of physiological arousal with feelings of worry or apprehension
• normal experience

Question 2

Phobia

(6)

Answer 2

• PIIF of a specific object or event
• fear or anxiety is out of proportion to actual danger of phobic stimulus
• almost always provokes immediate fear/anxiety
• phobic stimulus is actively avoided
• lasting for 6 months or more
• causes clinically significant impairment in functioning

PIIF - persistent, intense, irrational fear

Question 3

Phobic Responses

(2)

Answer 3

• panic attacks - time-limited episodes of intense anxiety with sympathetic NS activation
• anticaptory anxiety - gradual rise in anxiety as a person thinks/anticipates exposure to the phobic stimulus in the future

Question 4

Stress vs Anxiety vs Phobia

(4)

Answer 4

• stress and anxiety are considered normal experiences whereas phobia is considered abnormal
• stress includes eustress or distress whereas anxiety and phobia are only distress
• stress and anxiety may be due to multiple stressors whereas phobia is only the one phobic stimulus
• cause of stress/anxiety can be unknown whereas cause of phobia is usually known

Question 5

Precipitating Factors

(3)

Answer 5

• triggers onset of illness
• before symptom onset
  e.g. classical conditioning

Question 6

Perpetuating Factors

(3)

Answer 6

• prolongs/maintains ilness
• after symptom onset
  e.g. operant conditioning

Question 7

Protective Factors

(4)

Answer 7

• prevents occurrence or re-occurrence
  e.g. biological - healthy diet and sleep
  psychological - cognitive behaviourial streategies and mindfulness
  social - supprt from family, friends and community