IMPACT OF SPECIFIC PHOBIA ON THE RISK OF ONSET OF MENTAL DISORDERS: A 10-YEAR PROSPECTIVE-LONGITUDINAL COMMUNITY STUDY OF ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS: Research Article: Specific Phobia Predicts Psychopathology
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BACKGROUND: The role of specific phobia as a potentially important psychopathological precursor condition to more severe mental disorders is understudied. We examined the prospective-longitudinal association of early childhood/adolescent phobia with subsequent mental disorders and the proportion of outcome disease incidence attributable to specific phobia simultaneously for a broad range of disorders. METHODS: N = 2210 14- to 24-year-old community subjects were followed up for 10 years. DSM-IV-specific phobia as exposure and a broad range of DSM-IV mental disorders as outcomes were assessed with the DSM-IV/M-CIDI. Logistic regressions, adjusting for confounders, were used to estimate the associations of specific phobia with the subsequent onset of outcome disorders. RESULTS: Baseline specific phobia predicted the subsequent first onset of anxiety disorders [panic disorder: risk ratio (RR) = 4.38, 95% confidence interval (2.34, 8.21); generalized anxiety disorder: RR = 4.10 (2.19, 7.69); posttraumatic stress disorder: RR = 2.15 (1.13, 4.10); obsessive-compulsive disorder: RR = 3.79 (1.63, 8.82)], affective disorders [major depression: RR = 1.54 (1.16, 2.03); bipolar disorder: RR = 2.20 (1.10, 4.41); dysthymia: RR = 2.75 (1.48, 5.11)], pain disorder: RR = 1.52 (1.14, 2.02), and eating disorders: RR = 2.27 (1.14, 4.51). Population attributable fractions (PAFs; i.e., proportion of outcome disease incidence in the total population attributable to specific phobia) were highest for panic disorder (PAF = 33.93), generalized anxiety disorder (PAF = 32.3), and obsessive-compulsive disorders (PAF = 30.2). CONCLUSION: This study provides strong evidence that specific phobia is an early onset disorder predicting the subsequent onset of a range of disorders. Future studies should examine the underlying mechanisms and the potential of using specific phobia as a target for prevention of subsequent psychopathology.
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Children with SP are at greater risk for the development of future mental health conditions, such as substance abuse, depression, panic disorder, eating disorders, and PTSD.
“Children with SP are also at greater risk for the development of future mental health conditions, such as substance abuse, depression, panic disorder, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, Fichter et al., 2009; Lieb et al., 2016; Rifkin et al., 2016).”
From Specific Phobia in Young Children: Associations between the Origins of Fear and Clinical Expression of Phobia Symptoms. (2025) · cites this paper as Lieb et al., 2016
The Results section reports that baseline specific phobia predicted subsequent panic disorder, depression, eating disorders, and PTSD in a sample of adolescents and young adults. It also explicitly reports no association with a higher risk of the assessed substance use disorders. The claim’s reference to children is broader than the study’s 14-to-24-year-old sample. (LLM, conf=0.90)
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InfluentialFacing Your Fear in Immersive Virtual Reality: Avoidance Behavior in Specific Phobia
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“Several lines of evidence suggest that social anxiety in children and young adolescents increases the risk for developing other disorders, including tripling the risk of developing GAD, more than doubling the risk of developing a mood disorder, and quadrupling the risk of developing panic disorder (Lieb et al., 2016).”
InfluentialBibliotherapy for Specific Phobias of Dogs in Young Children: A Pilot Study
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“Additionally, studies have shown that these phobias are not only detrimental in children’s day to day lives but they also contribute to the development of additional anxiety disorders over time (De Vries et al., 2019; Lieb et al., 2016; Oar et al., 2019).”
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“Moreover, untreated childhood anxiety disorders are frequently associated with impairments in academic and social-emotional functioning and an increased risk of developing other psychopathology in adulthood (de Vries et al., 2019; Lieb et al., 2016; Rapee et al., 2009).”
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“Moreover, speci fi c phobias in childhood and adolescence are associated with a subsequent onset of other mental disorders (Lieb et al., 2016).”
Backgroundde Vries, Y. A., Al-Hamzawi, A., Alonso, J., Andrade, L. H., Benjet, C. L., Bruffaerts, R., Bunting, B., de Girolamo, G., Florescu, S., Gureje, O., et al. (2020) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291720004031 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“…major depressive disorder (MDD) is rare in children, but specific phobia and social anxiety disorder commonly show an onset in this age group (Kessler et al., 2005a), and children with these disorders have an increased risk of later developing depression (Lieb et al., 2016; Stein et al., 2001).”
A Pilot Study of One-Session Treatment for Specific Phobias in Children with ASD Traits
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“In general, the presence of anxiety disorders in childhood and adolescence increases the risk of an anxiety disorder in adulthood [5], and predicts other mental disorder [12].”
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“Research clearly shows that this is a disadvantage, as disorders get worse and more comorbidity is developed without help [6], resulting in longer and more expensive treatment trajectories [11].”
BackgroundThe beneficial effects of a single hypnotherapy session using parts negotiation for specific phobias
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“…phobias have been found to exert a negative impact on healthrelated quality of life in older adults (Chou, 2009) and are considered a significant risk factor in a range of affective and eating disorders (Lieb et al., 2016) and may be predictive of future mental disorder (Wardenaar et al., 2017).”
BackgroundYour Fear is My Fear: The Relationship Between Parental and Offspring Anxieties
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“…al., 2010) and are associated with signi fi cant impairment in academic, family, and social functioning (Chavira et al., 2004; Essau et al., 2000; Strauss et al., 1989) and with elevated risk for comorbid depression and substance use (Beesdo et al., 2007; Costello et al., 2003; Lieb et al., 2016).”
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“Children with SP are also at greater risk for the development of future mental health conditions, such as substance abuse, depression, panic disorder, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, Fichter et al., 2009; Lieb et al., 2016; Rifkin et al., 2016).”
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“SPH may predict risk for other anxiety or depressive disorders, particularly during the first two decades of life (Boehnlein et al. 2020; De Vries et al. 2019; Lieb et al. 2016; Trumpf et al. 2010).”
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“SP commonly co-occurs with a range of other mental disorders (Magee et al., 1996), with some researchers suggesting it often precedes the development of depressive, anxiety and eating disorders (Lieb et al., 2016; Trumpf et al., 2010).”
Cloud-Based VR Cybertherapy for Dynamic Exposure Therapy
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“In addition, specific phobias can be a predictor for the subsequent onset of a range of disorders [9].”
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Brain Aging in Specific Phobia: An ENIGMA ‐Anxiety Mega‐Analysis
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“SPH may predict risk for other anxiety or depressive disorders, particularly during the first two decades of life (Boehnlein et al. 2020; De Vries et al. 2019; Lieb et al. 2016; Trumpf et al. 2010).”
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Etiological and psychopathological correlates of weather-related anxiety and safety behaviors
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“…with a Specific Phobia are more likely to experience other anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and depression (Bittner et al., 2004; Goodwin, 2002; Lieb et al., 2016; Trumpf et al., 2010), with some evidence suggesting that it may even lead to the onset of depressive episodes (Judah et al., 2013;…”
- Authors
- Lieb, R., Miché, M., Gloster, A. T., Beesdo-Baum, K., Meyer, A. H., & Wittchen, H.-U.
- Affiliations
- University of Basel (CH)
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy; Technische Universität Dresden; Dresden Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Munich Germany
- Corresponding author
- Lieb, Roselind
- Venue
- Depression and Anxiety
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2016-03-17
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 667-675
- ISSN
- 1091-4269 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2297262337
- Cited by
- 73
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 5
- FWCI
- 8.04
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Depression and Anxiety (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- edoc (University of Basel) (submittedVersion)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (LA1148/1-1, WI2246/1-1, WI 709/7-1, WI 709/8-1)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Keywords
- specific phobia, anxiety disorders, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, mood disorders, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, dysthymia, pain disorders, eating disorders, population attributable fraction, adolescents and young adults, community population, prospective longitudinal study
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Mental Disorders, Female, Germany, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Phobic Disorders, Prospective Studies, Risk Factors, Comorbidity, Incidence, Odds Ratio, Young Adult
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