pediatrics
Agoraphobia in Children and Adolescents
Diagnosis
Psychiatric assessment Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM-5-TR) criteria For agoraphobia to be diagnosed, patients must consistently have unreasonable fear or anxiety about≥2 of the following for≥6 months: Using public transportation Being in open spaces Being in enclosed spaces Standing in line or being in a crowd Being outside the home alone Also, the fear must cause patients to avoid the distressing situation to the extent that they have difficulty functioning normally (eg, going to school, visiting the mall, doing other typical activities). Agoraphobia must be distinguished from the following: Specific phobias (eg, to a certain situation) Social Anxiety Disorder in Children and Adolescents None Panic Disorder in Children and Adolescents None Depressive Disorders in Children and Adolescents , which can cause patients to avoid leaving the house for reasons unrelated to anxiety 