Which disorder involves fear or avoidance of situations where escape might be difficult, such as crowds or open spaces?

• A. Agoraphobia
• B. Panic Disorder
• C. Social Anxiety Disorder
• D. Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Answer: (A)

Fear or avoidance of places and situations where escape might be hard to manage is what defines agoraphobia. This includes crowds, open spaces, being far from home, or using or being in a situation where getting to safety could be inconvenient or difficult. The emphasis is on the perceived inability to escape or obtain help if distress, panic, or other symptoms occur, which often leads to avoiding those situations and substantial daily functioning impairment. Panic sensations may contribute to this avoidance, but the core pattern is the fear of being trapped or unable to escape.

This differs from panic disorder, which centers on recurrent panic attacks and worry about having more attacks; social anxiety disorder, which is fear of negative evaluation in social or performance situations; and generalized anxiety disorder, which involves chronic, excessive worry across many domains.