How common is emetophobia?
An estimated 8% of people have emetophobia. Here is where that number comes from, who it affects most, and what the research does and does not tell us.
An estimated 8% of people have emetophobia. You are not alone.
Emetophobia falls under the Other Type umbrella of phobia classifications in the psychologist diagnostic guide, the DSM-5, which includes the phobias of choking, illness, children, loud sounds, and costumed characters.
Emetophobia is more commonly reported in women than men, impacting 7% of women and 2% of men[2]. The severity and length of phobia can vary widely, with severe emetophobia appearing more rarely[3].
Emetophobia appears all around the world[4][5] and most commonly starts in childhood.
Sources:
[1]: https://focus.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.focus.20160042
[2]: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21695748/
[3]: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-psychiatry/article/abs/epidemiology-of-specific-phobia-subtypes-findings-from-the-dresden-mental-health-study/B6C1FD0DB451EDA2CD216BD4BA91A5F6
[4]: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5573556/
[5]: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/cpp.761