Evidence-based interventions to treat specific phobia

Question 1

Benzodiazepines

Answer 1

medications that can be used to treat anxiety disorders like specific phobia.

described as tranquilisers,
having a sedative effect.

Question 2

Benzodiazepines are used to
effect.

Answer 2

treat the specific phobia when there are low
levels of GABA.

they enhance its inhibitory
effect.

Question 3

benzodiazepines are
what we call

Answer 3

GABA agonists.

because they stimulate
neurotransmitter activity.

Question 4

benzodiazepines
however

Answer 4

I. No GABA = no effect.

II.treat the symptoms of Specific Phobia, not the cause.

III. Its side-effects.

Question 5

Breathing retraining

Answer 5

process of identifying incorrect breathing habits and replacing them with correct one”

benefit:
can be used in public without drawing much attention.

Downsides: takes practice and other treatments
have been found to be more effective.

Question 6

Cognitive behavioural therapy

Answer 6

type of psychotherapy that combines cognitive and behavioural therapies to treat phobias and other mental health problems and disorders”

Question 7

cognigitive components involve

Answer 7

-identify neg thoughts and feelings
-replace these neg with more pos ones

Question 8

behaviourable involves:

Answer 8

• identifying neg behav relating to issue
  -dev and maintaining more posti behav

Question 9

In terms of the cognitive component, in relation to Specific Phobia, CBT focuses on

Answer 9

enabling patients to understand their cognitive biases are perpetuating their fear.

For example, their phobic stimulus is not as dangerous as it appears to them, therefore
their avoidance behaviors are irrational.

Question 10

In terms of the behavioural component, in relation to Specific Phobia, CBT

Answer 10

might
involve teaching a patient a relaxation technique or breathing retraining to enable them
to change their behaviour.

Question 11

Systematic desensitisation

Answer 11

therapeutic technique used to overcome phobias that involves a patient being exposed to increasingly anxiety-inducing stimuli, combined with the use of relaxation techniques”

Question 12

Systematic
desensitisation
has four steps

Answer 12

1. learning of relaxation tech: breathing control
2. dev of fear heirarchy
3. gradual step by step exposure: patient doesnt move on to next item in hirarchy until fear response is eliminated
4. continuation of this systematic exposure: confont their most fear inducing stimulus without a fear response

Question 13

Systematic desensitisation involves applying
the principles

Answer 13

of classical conditioning:

Unlearning the association between their phobic stimulus and fear & anxiety

And reassociating their phobic stimulus with
feelings of relaxation (and safety).

Question 14

of psychoeducation for families
and supporters,

Answer 14

teaching families and supporters of individuals with mental health disorders how to better understand, deal with, and
treat their disorder”

Question 15

Psychoeducation for families and supporters can be an effective intervention for Specific
Phobia.

Answer 15

It enables family and supporters to understand Specific Phobia and therefore help their loved one
with the condition