Evidence for fear of restriction and fear of suffocation as components of claustrophobia

Recent investigations of the aetiology and treatment of specific phobias ha ve focussed on clarifying the concerns underlying phobic anxiety. It has be en proposed that claustrophobic fear is comprised of separable confinement and suffocation components. This paper presents data from 78 general medica l outpatients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in two majo r teaching hospitals. The findings support the two factor structure of clau strophobia, in that exposure to confinement reduced confinement subscale sc ores, but did not influence suffocation scores. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science L td. All rights reserved.