Clinical characteristics of flying phobia

The goal of the present study was to analyze the clinical features of 67 subjects who sought treatment for their fear of flying. Individuals were interviewed for diagnosis by means of a structured clinical interview; other features related to fear of flying were ascertained by self-report questionnaires. Eighty-five percent of the subjects received an additional diagnosis of specific phobia and 15 % an additional diagnosis of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia. Among the subjects with a diagnosis of specific phobia situational subtype, eight (12 %) informed of a past history of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia or of agoraphobia without previous panic disorder. No differences were found in etiology nor severity of the disorder when subjects were compared according to their diagnoses. There were some slight differences among the groups regarding the main components of the fear. Fear of crashing was the most frequent fear, followed by not having control over the situation and to be in an enclosed space. Regarding etiology, most individuals could not recall any factor associated with the onset of their fear and the ones who did recalled some direct traumatic experience. The relationships among these factors and the clinical expressions of the fear and its implications for treatment and classification are discussed.