behavioural treatment 1- systematic desensitiation including relaxation

What is systematic desensitisation?

Derived from the behavioural approach, based on classical conditioning. Aim is to create a new stimulus response link, linking the phobic stimulus and relaxation instead of the phobic stimulus and fear- counterconditioning.

What are the steps of systematic densensitisation?

1- patient is taught how to relax muscles completely

2-therapist and patient make fear hierarchy of objects and situations that produce fear in the client starting with least to most

3-patient gradually works their way through the fear hierarchy through exposure, visualising each anxiety evoking event (covert desensitisation) while engaging in the relaxation response. Some cases the actual object or situation is present (vivo desensitisation)

4-once the patient has mastered one step in the hierarchy (can stay relaxed while imagining) they move onto the next

5-patient eventually masters feared situation causing them to seek help

What is reciprocal inhibition?

Systematic desensitisation causes individuals to overcome anxieties by learning to relax in the presence of a phobic stimulus that once created a lot of fear. Two responses of relaxation and fear are incompatible (reciprocal inhibition) and fear is eventually dispelled, replaced by relaxation.

What are the positives of systematic desensitisation?

-GILROY shows that it is effective in treating phobias. 42 patients were treated for spider phobia in 3 45 min sessions of systematic desensitisation. Fear was assessed using the spider questionnaire and assessing response to a spider. Control group was treated by relaxation without exposure. 3 months and 33 months after exposure the systematic desensitisation group was less fearful than the relaxation group. Long lasting effect

-more appropriate than flooding. Patients prefer it, less traumatic. Relaxation procedures are pleasant, less refusal

-ODGERS carried out meta analysis of studies into the effectiveness of exposure therapies, including systematic desensitisation. Exposure in general was found to be effective in general with no differences in different types of exposure

What are the negatives of systematic desensitisation?

-CHOY evidence indicates that flooding is more effective than systematic desensitisation. Explains reduction in use of systematic desensitisation, Mcglynn.

-behavioural approach to treatment is too simple, doesn’t address deeper psychological or emotional issues related to the disorder. Focus on symptoms instead of causes

-systematic desensitisation cant treat all phobias, only ones where you can identify a source of the phobia. For phobias like social phobia, CBT is better as found by Engels