How is Agoraphobia defined in DSM-5-TR?

• A. Marked fear or anxiety about at least two of five situations, lasting 6 months or more.
• B. Fear about at least two of five situations, lasting 6 months or more.
• C. Fear is limited to public transportation and open spaces.
• D. Anxiety about social evaluation in performance settings.

Answer: (B)

The defining idea here is how agoraphobia is diagnosed in DSM-5-TR. It requires marked fear or anxiety about two or more of five specific situations, lasting six months or more, and these situations are avoided or endured with significant distress or the need for a companion.

The best phrasing includes all of these elements, especially the word marked and the duration. Saying fear rather than marked fear underplays the level of impairment the diagnosis requires, and mentioning only fear without the impairment qualifier doesn’t capture the DSM criterion. The five situations cover public transportation, open spaces, enclosed places, standing in a crowd or line, and being outside the home alone, and the fear must be about at least two of them and persist for six months or more. The other options either omit the required level of impairment, limit the scope to fewer situations, or describe a different disorder.