Agoraphobia

A disorder characterized by intense anxiety occurring in places or situations from which escape would be difficult or help unavailable, such as crowds, public transport, open spaces, or when outside the home alone. The person actively avoids these situations or endures them with great distress, often requiring the presence of a companion.

Symptoms

• Intense anxiety in crowded places (also: Intense anxiety in crowded places, anxiety in crowds, fear of crowds, anxiety among people, discomfort in crowds)
• Intense anxiety when using public transport (also: Intense anxiety when using public transport, anxiety on public transport, anxiety on bus, anxiety on metro, anxiety on train)
• Fear of leaving home alone (also: Fear of going out alone, fear of leaving home, fear of going outside, agoraphobic fear, fear of leaving)
• Active avoidance of open or public spaces (also: Active avoidance of open or public spaces, avoidance of public places, avoidance of public spaces, skipping public places, withdrawal from public spaces)
• Need for a companion in anxiety-provoking situations (also: Need for a trusted companion in anxiety-provoking situations, need for accompanying person, need for company, need for presence of close person, dependency on accompanying person)
• Anxiety in spaces difficult to escape (also: Intense anxiety in spaces difficult to escape, intense anxiety in public spaces, overwhelming anxiety in public places, severe agoraphobia, panic in public space)
• Co-occurring panic attacks in agoraphobic situations (also: panic attacks in crowds, panic in shop, anxiety attack during travel, panic on bus, agoraphobia with panic attacks)
• Anticipatory anxiety before entering a phobic situation (also: anticipatory anxiety, afraid before going out, anticipatory fear, stress before leaving home, apprehension about going out)

ICD-11 diagnostic criteria

• silny lęk w określonych sytuacjach publicznych
• obawa przed brakiem możliwości ucieczki lub pomocy
• unikanie sytuacji lub znoszenie ich z silnym lękiem
• objawy utrzymują się przez kilka miesięcy

How to recognise

In the ICD-11 framework, the core symptoms taken into account when recognising Agoraphobia are:

• unikanie miejsc publicznych
• lęk przed opuszczeniem domu

Differential diagnosis

When diagnosing Agoraphobia, the following ICD-11 disorders should be considered in the differential diagnosis:

• Zaburzenie lękowe z napadami paniki (6B01)
• Fobia specyficzna (6B03)
• Zaburzenie związane z lękiem społecznym (6B04)

Synonyms and related terms

anxiety in crowds, fear of crowds, anxiety among people, discomfort in crowds, crowd phobia, afraid of crowds, feels unwell in crowds, avoids crowds, anxiety among many people, crowds terrifying, anxiety on public transport, anxiety on bus, anxiety on metro, anxiety on train, fear on public transit, discomfort on public transport, transport phobia, afraid to ride bus, anxious on metro, afraid of public transit, feels unwell on bus, avoids public transport, Fear of going out alone, fear of leaving home, fear of going outside, agoraphobic fear, fear of leaving, anxiety before going out, home-leaving phobia, apprehension before leaving home

Frequently asked questions

What are the symptoms of Agoraphobia?

Symptoms associated with Agoraphobia (ICD-11 6B02) include: Intense anxiety in crowded places, Intense anxiety when using public transport, Fear of leaving home alone, Active avoidance of open or public spaces, Need for a companion in anxiety-provoking situations, Anxiety in spaces difficult to escape, Co-occurring panic attacks in agoraphobic situations, Anticipatory anxiety before entering a phobic situation.

How is Agoraphobia diagnosed according to ICD-11?

According to ICD-11, the diagnostic criteria for Agoraphobia (6B02) include: silny lęk w określonych sytuacjach publicznych; obawa przed brakiem możliwości ucieczki lub pomocy; unikanie sytuacji lub znoszenie ich z silnym lękiem; objawy utrzymują się przez kilka miesięcy.

What disorders are in the differential diagnosis of Agoraphobia?

The differential diagnosis of Agoraphobia (6B02) includes: Zaburzenie lękowe z napadami paniki (6B01), Fobia specyficzna (6B03), Zaburzenie związane z lękiem społecznym (6B04).

WHO ICD-11 source

View this entry in the official WHO ICD-11 browser: 6B02 – WHO ICD-11