Differential diagnosis and treatment of the "housebound syndrome"
Rapp, M.S.
Canadian Medical Association Journal 131(9): 1041-1044
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-4409 PMID: 6498716 Document Number: 221655
Not all people who become housebound suffer from agoraphobia. Other emotional illnesses can underlie this behaviour. Early diagnosis is important. Some conditions can be treated by family physicians without special training, and some are appropriately treated only in special settings. This paper describes psychiatric disorders that may present as a "housebound syndrome" and outlines the principles of treatment for each.