What is the medical term for the fear of open or crowded public spaces?

The medical term for the fear of open or crowded public spaces is agoraphobia. It is an anxiety disorder involving fear of situations where escape might be difficult or help might not be readily available.

Common triggers include public transportation, shopping centers, queues, theaters, bridges, wide-open areas, and being outside the home alone. The fear is often connected to having a panic attack in public, losing control, or feeling embarrassed rather than to open space itself.

The word comes from the Greek agora, meaning a public meeting place or marketplace, combined with phobos, meaning fear. German psychiatrist Karl Friedrich Otto Westphal introduced the term in 1871. Historically, agoraphobia was closely linked with panic disorder, but modern diagnostic systems recognize them as separate conditions that can occur together.

Agoraphobia is often confused with claustrophobia, the fear of enclosed spaces, and social anxiety disorder, the fear of scrutiny or negative judgment. Treatment commonly includes cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure-based therapy, and, when appropriate, medication.