The cross-national epidemiology of specific phobia in the World Mental Health Surveys - CORRIGENDUM

Anesthesia management of a patient with claustrophobia undergoing surgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment: A case report

INTRODUCTION

Claustrophobia is a form of phobic anxiety disorder characterized by panic attacks. Anesthesia in patients with claustrophobia poses a challenge because these patients reject all treatments in an enclosed space. When such patients are treated in uncomfortably enclosed environments, it can cause mental distress and even sudden psychiatric death.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report the case of a 55-year-old man with severe anxiety disorder and claustrophobia who required anesthesia for the surgical treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. This patient had a history of severe anxiety and claustrophobia for more than 40 years, without having received any treatment for the condition. The patient had failed to tolerate multiple chamber surgeries. Following multidisciplinary discussion, the patient's surgery was performed under general anesthesia in the operating room after the patient underwent induction of anesthesia outside the operating room.

CONCLUSIONS

This case report shows that patients with claustrophobia need to be provided a comfortable environment for induction and awakening from anesthesia.

The Mediation Effect of Phobic Anxiety on the Treatment Outcome of Activity and Participation across Age: Comparison between Online and Face-to-Face Rehabilitation Aftercare of an RCT

The efficacy of internet and mobile-based interventions (IMIs) has been demonstrated with different mental health disorders, but little is known about the mediating effect of phobic anxiety on activity and participation and the differential effect of age. The current study tested a moderated mediation model with short-term change in phobic anxiety mediating between treatment (IMI vs. face-to-face, F2F) and long-term change in activity and participation, and age of patients moderating this mediation. Participants (N = 142) were recruited from psychosomatic rehabilitation clinics and randomized into the IMI psychosomatic aftercare or F2F psychosomatic aftercare. Moderated mediation analyses were conducted using R software. Results showed that the long-term treatment effects of activity and participation (βc = -0.18, p = 0.034; βc' = -0.13, p = 0.145) were improved through the successful decrease of phobic anxiety (βa = -0.18, p = 0.047; βb = 0.37, p = 0.010). Older patients benefited equally from both IMI and F2F interventions regarding short-term treatment change in phobic anxiety, while younger participants benefited more from IMI (βAge*Treatment = 0.20, p = 0.004). IMIs targeting mental disorders can improve activity and participation along with phobic anxiety, especially in younger individuals. The needs of older patients should be considered with the development and improvement of IMIs.