title: Two-year follow-up after a randomised controlled trial of self- and clinician-accompanied exposure for phobia/panic disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Long-term follow-up has rarely been reported after self-exposure therapy for phobias.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Completion of such a follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-year follow-up was achieved in 68 (85%) of 80 patients with phobias who had completed a previous 14-week randomised controlled trial comparing therapist-accompanied self-exposure, self-exposure or self-relaxation. Measures were self-reported ratings of symptoms, satisfaction and use of other treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Improvement at week 14 was maintained 2 years later. Clinician-accompanied exposure and self-exposure did not differ on any measure. Compliance with self-exposure homework during weeks 0-8 predicted more improvement 2 years later. Patients who failed to improve with relaxation by week 14 improved after subsequent crossover to exposure. A need for more treatment for their phobias was still felt by 33 patients (49%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with phobias maintained their improvement to 2-year follow-up after the end of self-exposure therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Pusan, Korea.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mataix-Cols
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ngamthipwatthana
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Araya
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Al-Kubaisy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007171:Implosive Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D012648:Self Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome