This study determined the prevalence, age of onset, comorbidity, and impairment associated with specific phobia subtypes in the community. Data were drawn from the Dresden Mental Health Study (N = 2064), a representative community-based sample of young women in Dresden, Germany. The lifetime prevalence of any specific phobia was 12.8%, with subtypes ranging in prevalence between 0.2% (vomiting, infections) and 5.0% (animals). There were significant differences in the mean age of onset of specific phobias. Significant differences in comorbidity patterns also emerged between subtypes. No significant differences were found in level of impairment associated with the subtypes. The findings suggest that specific phobias are common among young women and that they differ in prevalence, associated comorbidity, and mean age of onset. These data suggest significant differences in the phenomenology and clinical significance of specific phobia subtypes.

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental disorders and are associated with substantial healthcare costs and a high burden of disease. In this article, changes in the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (the DSM–5) with respect to panic disorder/agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, and selective mutism are compared with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD–10) system.