What causes claustrophobia?

Claustrophobia is often caused by a traumatic event experienced during earlychildhood. For example, adults may develop claustrophobia if, as a child, they:

• were trapped or kept in a confined space
• were bullied or abused
• had a parent with claustrophobia

Claustrophobia can also be triggered by unpleasant experiences or situations, such as turbulence when flying or being stuck in a tube tunnel between stations.

A child growing up with a parent who has claustrophobia may develop claustrophobia themselves, by associating confined spaces with their parent'sanxiety and feeling helpless to comfort the person they loved.