Agoraphobia: a Critical Review of the Concept

Abstract

Summary: Phobic avoidance has been widely accepted as the central feature of the agoraphobic syndrome, and the presence of agoraphobia has been used to define groups of subjects for clinical research. A review of the evidence suggests that agoraphobia should not be classified with the phobias; several lines of inquiry point to the conclusion that it is a variable feature of patients suffering from anxiety neurosis. Implications for research and problems with the present classification of neurotic affective disorders are noted.