Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias Flashcards
Outline the behavioural approach to treating phobias (systematic desensitisation)
One way to treat phobias is through systematic desensitisation. This uses classical conditioning to unlearn a maladaptive behavioural response to a phobic stimulus. First the patient is taught how to relax using muscle relaxation techniques and breathing exercises. Next, the hierarchy of anxiety is used where the patient works with the therapist to make a graded scale with the stimulus that scares them the least to the most. For example, a picture a wasp could be at the bottom and being in the same room as a wasp could be at the top of the scale. The client is then gradually exposed to the feared stimulus and is encouraged to use their relaxation techniques. This is known as reciprocal inhibition where two incompatible states of mind can’t co-exist at the same time. The patient will only move beyond each stage once they are relaxed. Finally, the patient completes treatment when they are desensitised and can move through the hierarchy
Outline the behavioural approach to treating phobias (flooding)
Flooding uses classical conditioning to unlearn a maladaptive response to a phobic stimulus. This is where the patient is immediately exposed to their most feared stimulus and must stay in its presence. They will experience high levels of anxiety and panic and are unable to avoid the stimulus. They remain exposed to it until the anxiety is exhausted and starts to decrease. This lasts around 2 to 3 hours until the patients anxiety eventually disappears which is known as extinction and the patient learns that the phobic stimulus is harmless.
Discuss systematic desensitisation into the behavioural approach to treating phobias (3 X AO3)
Research to support the effectiveness of Systematic Desensitisation as a treatment for phobias was conducted by Gilroy. She followed up 42 people who had SD for spider phobias in three 45-minute sessions using gradual exposure. At both three months after treatment and thirty-three months after treatments. The SD group were much less fearful than a control group who were treated with a therapy that did not use exposure to a phobic stimuli as part of the therapy. Therefore suggesting that reassociating a phobia with relaxation through systematic desensitisation is an effective treatment for phobias.
It could be argued that systematic desensitisation may not be appropriate for all patients as it requires motivation and commitment from patients. Patients must attend sessions over a period of time and be exposed to anxiety provoking situations, this may make some patients stop therapy. If patients stop attending therapy, then the therapy is ineffective, and their anxieties will return. This is unlike drug therapy which requires little motivation and commitment from patients as they only have to take a tablet in order to reduce the anxiety that they feel, which does not require much will power. Therefore, limiting the appropriateness of systematic desensitisation as a treatment for phobias.
One strength of systematic desensitisation is that it could be seen as a more appropriate behavioural therapy for most patients due to the patient being given high control over their own therapy. This is because they create their own hierarchy of anxiety with the therapist and are gradually exposure to feared stimuli and only move on to the next stage of the hierarchy once they feel relaxed. This is unlike flooding which can be quite traumatic for patients as they are immediately exposed to their most feared stimuli, which can cause high anxiety levels. This means that patients often opt for systematic desensitisation and this is reflected in low refusal (saying no to treatment) rates and low attrition (drop out) rates. Therefore, suggesting systematic desensitisation is an appropriate treatment for phobias.
Discuss flooding as a behavioural approach to treating phobias (2 X AO3)
A strength of flooding as a treatment for phobias is that it is a highly cost-effective way to treat a phobia. This is because the therapy has been found to be effective, yet it is not expensive. Flooding can work in as little as one session due to the immediate exposure and extinction of the phobia, unlike SD, which could take up to 10 sessions for the same result due to the gradual exposure of the phobic stimulus. Therefore, flooding might be a more cost effective treatment for the NHS to use, this could benefit the economy as more people would be treated for phobias in less time using fewer resources, therefore, flooding may be regarded as a more appropriate therapy to use in the real world.
One limitation of Flooding is that it can be seen as an unethical treatment, this is because the patient may experience extreme anxiety as they are exposed to their most feared phobic stimulus for 2-3 hours. Although full informed consent is gained from patients, SD could be seen as a more ethical treatment as it gradually exposes patients to their phobia at the patients own rate. Schumacher et al found that participants and therapists rated flooding as significantly more stressful than SD. Moreover, the traumatic nature of flooding means attrition rates are higher than for SD. Therefore reducing the appropriateness and effectiveness of flooding as a behavioural treatment for a phobia.
