Abordaje de la hematofobia y sus distintas líneas de investigación

Abstract

Blood phobia could be defined by the presence of fear and a number of avoiding or escaping behaviors regarding places, objects and situations related to the sight of blood, needles or injuries, with nearly an 80% of cases having a history of fainting. This phobia has a prevalence of 31‰ and usually implies a great impact on the subject's life. The present study is a review of the most outstanding literature in the field, addressing the explanatory variables along with the most effective treatments. Then, literature has been searched along three research lines: sensitivity to disgust, the role of hyperventilation, and the attentional bias. Also, the most effective procedures in the field have being reviewed. The results show that there is not a significant difference between the Applied Tension (AT) and the Exposure (E) alone – the most efficient techniques to treat this phobia. Regarding the three research lines mentioned above, the more significant procedures used over the last few years have been the role of hyperventilation and the attentional bias. Finally, a set of guidelines to work with these patients are put forward regarding these findings.