Spouse-aided therapy with agoraphobics.
Sixty agoraphobics were treated by behavioural therapy (self-exposure in vivo) either with their partner involved in all aspects of treatment or without their partner. The two treatment formats were about equally effective. Behavioural treatment directed at the agoraphobia resulted in improvement irrespective of marital quality and partner involvement in the therapy. The effects of treatment led neither to a deterioration of the marriage nor to adjustment problems in the partner. Avoidance behaviour, intropunitivity and overprotection were found to predict treatment response. The partners of agoraphobics were not found to have psychological problems themselves.
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
P M
PM
Emmelkamp
R
R
van Dyck
M
M
Bitter
R
R
Heins
E J
EJ
Onstein
B
B
Eisen
D000328:Adult; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010553:Personality Development