One versus five sessions of exposure in the treatment of flying phobia.
Twenty-eight patients with flying phobia, fulfilling the DSM-IV criteria for specific phobia, were assessed with behavioral, and self-report measures. They were randomly assigned to two treatment conditions: (1) 1-session, or (2) 5-sessions of exposure and cognitive restructuring. The first condition consisted of a single 3 hr session of massed treatment, and the second condition of 6 hr of gradual treatment. Treatment was done individually by very experienced therapists. The results showed that the two treatment conditions did equally well and there were no differences between them. At post-treatment 93% of the 1-session group and 79% of the 5-session group managed to take an unaccompanied return fight. At the 1-yr follow-up assessment the effects were maintained on all measures except the behavioral test; in both groups 64% of the patients took the flight. The most plausible reason for this deterioration is that during the follow-up year the subjects who relapsed didn't have the opportunity to fly as a job requirement with the employer paying the expenses. The implications of these results are discussed.
Ost
L G
LG
Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Sweden.
Brandberg
M
M
Alm
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000401:Aircraft; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014195:Travel / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome