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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

Agoraphobia usually starts in your late teens or early 20s, but younger children and older adults also can develop agoraphobia. Women are diagnosed with agoraphobia more often than are men.

Possible agoraphobia risk factors include:

  • Having panic disorder
  • Experiencing stressful life events, including sexual or physical abuse during childhood
  • Having a tendency to be nervous or anxious
  • Having an alcohol or substance abuse disorder
  • Being female
Complications Causes

  • See Also

    • Hand Scheduled
    Section Focus
    Related Links
  • Phobias

    • Related Guides
    Children
    Parent
References
  1. Agoraphobia. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Jan. 7, 2011.
  2. Panic disorder. In: Hales RE, et al. The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry. 5th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2008. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Jan. 7, 2011.
  3. Schatzberg AF, et al. Anxiety disorders. In: Schatzberg AF, et al. Manual of Clinical Psychopharmacology. 7th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2010. 7th ed. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Jan. 7, 2011.
  4. Shih RD. Plants, mushrooms and herbal medications. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?sid=1102110593&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00162-6--s0135&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&type=bookPage&sectionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00162-6--s0135&uniqId=231117875-7. Accessed Jan. 7, 2011.
  5. Hepatic toxicity possibly associated with kava-containing products - United States, Germany, and Switzerland, 1999 - 2002. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5147a1.htm. Accessed Jan. 7, 2011.
  6. Ciechanowski P, et al. Overview of panic disorder. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 7, 2011.
  7. Satterfield JM, et al. Panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2011: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00025-1--sc0035&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&sid=1102117058&type=bookPage&sectionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00025-1--sc0035&uniqId=231117875-8#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00025-1--sc0035. Accessed Jan. 7, 2011.
  8. Agoraphobia. Micromedex Healthcare Series. http://www.micromedex.com. Accessed Jan. 13, 2011.
  9. Hall-Flavin DK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 11, 2011.
DS00894 April 21, 2011

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