FEATURES OF AGORAPHOBIA, SOCIAL, AND RELATED PHOBIAS AND VALIDATION OF THE DIAGNOSES

This study analyzed demographic data on 567 consecutive hospital referrals, with clinic diagnoses of agoraphobia or social phobia, and clinical ratings on 430 of these patients. A principal components analysis of Fear Questionnaire (FQ) and work and social adjustment items yielded clear agoraphobia and social phobia factors that validated the clinical diagnoses and the FQ. Agoraphobics were more often women and had a later onset age than social phobics. A subgroup of patients whose avoidance was due to a fear of vomiting or fecal or urinary incontinence differed from both agoraphobics and social phobics in their demographic and clinical profiles and in their principal components scores. © 1991.