Social phobia and simple phobia: Differences and similarities in clinical manifestations

Differences and similarities in anxiety manifestations, fear to negative evaluation, agoraphobic avoidances, and depression, between three groups (social phobia, simple phobia, and control) are studied. The social phobia group scored higher than control group in all variables assessed by the Inventory of Situations and Responses of Anxiety. Similarly, social phobia subjects scored higher than control group in fear to negative evaluation and depression. Finally, there were no differences between social phobia and control group regarding agoraphobic avoidances. Simple phobia group showed lower levels of depression and anxiety (except for anxiety in phobic situations) than social phobia group. However, on the contrary to the literature evidence, simple phobia scored higher than control group (not only in anxiety in phobic situations), but in six of the eight anxiety subscales of the ISRA, as well as in agoraphobic avoidances. Therefore, simple phobia group respect to control group, appeared more clinically oriented than previous findings: people with simple phobia presented very high anxiety manifestations, not only in phobic situations, but it was too superior in anxiety in daily life situations, as well as in the manifestations in the three response systems and total anxiety.