Fear of closed space is known as?

Appeared in: UPPSC-2021

Explanation

Claustrophobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by an intense and irrational fear of enclosed or confined spaces.
The term originates from the Latin 'claustrum' meaning 'a closed-in place' and the Greek 'phobos' meaning 'fear'.
Common triggers for claustrophobia include elevators, windowless rooms, tunnels, and medical imaging machines like MRI scanners.
This fear goes beyond a simple dislike and can cause significant distress and avoidance behaviors.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

Option A: Acrophobia is the specific phobia related to an intense fear of heights, not closed spaces.
Option B: Cyanophobia is an extremely rare specific phobia characterized by a fear of the color blue. It is unrelated to spaces.
Option D: Nyctophobia is the specific phobia involving an intense fear of darkness or the night, not enclosed spaces.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Definitions of specific phobias as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must anticipate and manage patient claustrophobia during procedures like MRI/CT scans, which can cause significant distress and lead to procedure refusal or abortion.
Key nursing interventions include providing clear explanations, maintaining verbal contact, coaching relaxation techniques (like deep breathing), and administering prescribed anxiolytics if ordered.
What if? If a patient with known severe claustrophobia requires an MRI, the nurse should advocate for alternatives like an open MRI or sedation, which may require a new provider order and scheduling adjustments.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key terms in the question stem: 'fear' and 'closed space'.
This is a factual recall question that tests your knowledge of medical terminology, specifically phobias.
Systematically review each option, recalling its definition based on the Greek or Latin roots.
Acrophobia ('acro' meaning height) is fear of heights.
Claustrophobia ('claustrum' meaning closed-in place) is fear of closed spaces.
Nyctophobia ('nycto' meaning night) is fear of the dark.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Definitions of specific phobias
Stem keywords: fear, closed space
Lead-in keywords: is known as
Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

QU-HxLFtACp6ZVNZowZfNS

Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 3869-3872

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