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Reassessing anxiety classifications: A quantitative analysis of fear, phobia and coping strategies

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Reassessing anxiety classifications: A quantitative analysis of fear, phobia and coping strategies
Authors: Iyer, Shreya Ramasubramanian
Source: International Journal of Science and Research Archive. 16:2222-2227
Publisher Information: GSC Online Press, 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Subject Terms: Phobia, Fear, Anxiety, Physiological Response, Misinterpretation, Emotional Response
Description: Phobias are a group of mental health disorders that can affect people's daily lives. A phobia is an uncontrollable, unreasonable, and persistent fear of a particular thing, circumstance, or action. An individual can go to any extent to try to avoid their phobia. This survey aimed to understand if people experience fear or phobia and how much it impacts their daily lives, and the methods they use to cope with it. The survey consists of two parts. The first part was to explore the specific objects or situations feared and the impact of phobias on daily functioning. The second part of the survey aimed to find out how much these fears impact the daily lives of people. The majority of participants (57%) reported experiencing moderate levels of anxiety. A smaller portion (17%) reported only mild discomfort, which may suggest a misinterpretation of their fear as a phobia. In contrast, participants who experienced intense panic exhibited strong emotional and physiological responses, aligning more closely with the diagnostic features of a true phobia. 13% of participants responded by saying that they would cope by doing deep breathing exercises, and 9% would want to talk to someone to help cope with their phobia. The majority, though, stated that they would simply distract themselves through any means available. The results of this study indicate that most people associate their fear with being a phobia, when in reality, their report of their experiences suggests otherwise. It may contribute to the research in the areas of phobias and fears.
Document Type: Article
ISSN: 2582-8185
DOI: 10.30574/ijsra.2025.16.1.2284
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17264120
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17264121
Rights: CC BY
Accession Number: edsair.doi.dedup.....de91397b6a804e6cd65f307dcd3a340c
Database: OpenAIRE
Description
Abstract:Phobias are a group of mental health disorders that can affect people's daily lives. A phobia is an uncontrollable, unreasonable, and persistent fear of a particular thing, circumstance, or action. An individual can go to any extent to try to avoid their phobia. This survey aimed to understand if people experience fear or phobia and how much it impacts their daily lives, and the methods they use to cope with it. The survey consists of two parts. The first part was to explore the specific objects or situations feared and the impact of phobias on daily functioning. The second part of the survey aimed to find out how much these fears impact the daily lives of people. The majority of participants (57%) reported experiencing moderate levels of anxiety. A smaller portion (17%) reported only mild discomfort, which may suggest a misinterpretation of their fear as a phobia. In contrast, participants who experienced intense panic exhibited strong emotional and physiological responses, aligning more closely with the diagnostic features of a true phobia. 13% of participants responded by saying that they would cope by doing deep breathing exercises, and 9% would want to talk to someone to help cope with their phobia. The majority, though, stated that they would simply distract themselves through any means available. The results of this study indicate that most people associate their fear with being a phobia, when in reality, their report of their experiences suggests otherwise. It may contribute to the research in the areas of phobias and fears.
ISSN:25828185
DOI:10.30574/ijsra.2025.16.1.2284