Entomophobia

Fear of insects and bugs

Entomophobia, sometimes known as insectophobia, is a specific phobia characterized by an excessive or unrealistic fear (disgust) of one or more classes of insect, and classified as a phobia by the DSM-5.[1] More specific cases include katsaridaphobia (fear of cockroaches), melissophobia (fear of bees), myrmecophobia (fear of ants), and lepidopterophobia (fear of moths and butterflies). One book claims 6% of all US inhabitants have this phobia.[2]

Entomophobia may develop after the person has had a traumatic experience with the insect(s). It may develop early or later in life and is quite common among animal phobias. Typically, one has a fear of one specific type of insect. However, in some cases, this fear may encompass all organisms of the phylum Arthropoda. Entomophobia leads to behavioral changes: the person with entomophobia will avoid situations where they may encounter a specific type of insect. Cognitive behavioral therapy is considered an effective treatment.[1]

See also

  • Zoophobia
  • Arachnophobia
  • List of phobias

References

  1. ^ a b McCabe, Randi E. (2015). Milosevic, Irena; McCabe, Randi E. (eds.). Phobias: The Psychology of Irrational Fear: The Psychology of Irrational Fear. ABC-CLIO. pp. 125–27. ISBN 9781610695763.
  2. ^ Lockwood, Jeffrey (2013-09-25). The Infested Mind: Why Humans Fear, Loathe, and Love Insects. Oxford UP. pp. 110–. ISBN 9780199374939. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Mental disorders (Classification)
Adult personality and behavior
Sexual
Other
Emotional and behavioral
Intellectual disability
Psychological development
(developmental disabilities)
Mood (affective)
Neurological and symptomatic
Autism spectrum
Dementia
Other
Adjustment
Anxiety
Phobia
Other
Dissociative
Somatic symptom
Physiological and physical behavior
Eating
Nonorganic sleep
Postnatal
Sexual desire
Delusional
Psychosis and
schizophrenia-like
Schizophrenia
Other
Symptoms and uncategorized
Authority control databases: National Edit this at Wikidata
  • Israel
  • United States