While many phobias have no obvious cause, several factors have been linked to the development of a specific phobia. These include:
- Direct learning: Many phobias (especially those related to animals, injections, and enclosed spaces) occur following a negative or previous traumatic experience, for example, a person may develop a phobia of dogs after being bitten by a dog.
- Indirect learning: A person may become fearful of a particular object or situation after observing another person’s fearful response to that same object or situation, for example a child observing how their parent is fearful of and avoids flying.
- Genetic factors: People with a family history of animal phobias, situational phobias, and blood, injection, and injury phobias have a higher chance of developing the phobia than those without a family history.
Once a specific phobia has developed, a person’s fear can continue due to a number of behavioural and cognitive factors. These include:
- Unhelpful thoughts: Unhelpful thoughts such as overestimating the chance of harm or incorrect beliefs about the consequences of confronting a feared object/situation are also thought to contribute to the continued experience of a phobia.
- Avoidance: Avoidance is a common behavioural reaction to a specific phobia as it allows people to avoid feelings of fear and anxiety. However, avoidance prevents opportunities to learn to challenge fearful beliefs and develop effective coping skills to manage anxiety. As a result, the specific phobia is maintained and not overcome.