Radiophobia, a portmanteau of radiation and phobia, refers to a fear of ionizing radiation that exceeds its actuarial risk, leading to an overestimation of radiation's health risks relative to other risks. A 2022 definition by Lindberg and Archer describes it as the socio-psychological and cultural relationship between individuals and ionizing radiation, characterized by a clear disparity between the actual and perceived risks and health effects of exposure; measured against the clinical criteria of the DSM-5, the term is arguably a misnomer for a true phobia.
Facts
First Described YearThe term was used in a paper entitled "Radio-phobia and radio-mania" presented by Dr Albert Soiland of Los Angeles in 1903. (w-bbfill-psychology6-0926) Classification
Type of Phenomenon Diagnostic ChapterAnxiety or Fear-Related Disorders 2 Sources
1. Radiophobia (Wikipedia)
- Wikipedia Radiophobia lead paragraph (w-bbfill-psych-diag-0926, keyword classification against phenomenon-kind enum definitions, hand-checked)
Wikipedia article text
The term was used in a paper entitled "Radio-phobia and radio-mania" presented by Dr Albert Soiland of Los Angeles in 1903.
View the Source2. ICD-11 Browser (WHO)
World Health Organization
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