Psychological Interventions - Addiction Flashcards
What is imaginal desensitisation?
Patients are taught to relax
- Learn from this procedure to relax when they encounter opportunities to carrying out their addiction rather than submit to their cravings
What as an extension of ID?
‘In vivo’ exposure, relaxation techniques are applied while the patient is actually experiencing an addictive situation
What did McConaghy do?
Gave participants either ID or other behavioural procedures
What did McConaghy find?
26/33 who received ID reported control or cessation of gambling compared with 16/30 who received other behavioural procedures
What does McConaghy’s study show?
That ID may have a specific effect additional to that of the other behavioural procedures - other procedures could be regarded as placebos
What does CBT aim to do?
To counteract underlying irrational beliefs and attitudes about gambling that are believed to be innate and maintain the undesirable behaviour
What does CBT teach the patients?
Strategies to correct their incorrect thinking - many gamblers do not understand the concepts of probability and randomness , believing they have control over winning or loosing
What is cognitive dissonance?
The feeling of uncomfortable tension which comes from holding two conflicting thoughts in the mind at the same time
What is an example of cognitive dissonance for a smoker?
Believe that they hate smoking e.g. the cost but then also believe that smoking is the best thing in their lives
What did Schnoll do?
Cancer patients who were smokers were assigned to either CBT or general health education (GHE)
What did Schnoll find?
There was no significant difference between rates of quitting between the CBT and GHE groups at either a 1 month follow up (44%-47%) or a 3 month follow up (43%-39%)
What does Schnoll’s study show?
That CBT may not be effective for giving up smoking - the person must have a motive
What did Toneatto do?
Used CBT to modify assumptions and beliefs underlying the gambling behaviour of a 47 year old male with a 26 year gambling history
What did Toneatto find?
Based on a 6 month follow up, CBT successfully reduced the frequency of client’s gambling from 10 times per month in the 3 years previous to treatment to three total times in the 6 month follow up
What does Toneatto’s study show?
That CBT may be good for changing behaviour that is based on thinking for addiction where as smoking is a physical addiction BUT only one case
