Phobic anxiety does not affect plasma levels of thyroid stimulating hormone in man

(1) The effect of anxiety on plasma levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is not clear, despite a number of relevant studies. (2) Nine human subjects with severe phobias had blood samples taken for TSH assay every 20 min during five sessions of 3-hr duration each. (3) Severe anxiety, induced by treating the subject's phobia with in vivo flooding, did not influence plasma TSH levels in any consistent way, nor could a specific TSH response to anxiety be identified in any individual subject.