biological contributing factors and evidence-based interventions

Biopsychosocial approach

a holistic, interdisciplinary framework for understanding the human experience in terms of the influence of biological, psychological, and social factors

biological factors

internal, genetic, and/or physiologically based factors

GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid)

the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system

GABA dysfunction (biological contributing factor)

insufficient neural transmission or reception of GABA in the body

GABA dysfunction can contribute to specific phobia because…

1. may cause someone's fight-flight-freeze response or anxiety response to be activated more easily than someone with adequate GABA levels (stress response is more easily triggered by a certain stimuli)

2. recurrent stress responses of specific stimuli can lead to the development of a phobia

long-term potentiation (biological contributing factor)

the long-lasting and experience dependent strengthening of synaptic connections that are regularly coactivated

long term potentiation can contribute to the development of phobia by…

1. strengthening the association between neural signals involved in perceiving a stimulus and neural signals activating the fear response

2. through their repeated coactivation, the signals involved in perceiving a phobic stimulus more readily trigger the activation of the neural signals responsible for the fear response

3. the more this occurs, the stronger the association becomes and the stronger the phobia becomes

benzodiazepines (biological intervention)

a type of medication that depresses central nervous system activity and is often used as a short-acting anti-anxiety medication

agonists

a type of drug that imitates neurotransmitters and works to initiate a neural response (excitatory or inhibitory) when it binds to the receptor sites of a neuron

process of benzodiazepines as an intervention for specific phobia

1. benzodiazepines bind to a GABA receptor site on a post synaptic neuron

2. The benzodiazepines increase the effectiveness of GABA when it later binds to the same receptor sites and mimics its effects

3. GABA is then able to have its inibitory effect, reducing the likelihood the neuron will fire. This acts temporarily to reduce neural communication, in turn reducing anxiety

breathing retraining (biological intervention)

A method used to teach breathing control techniques that may reduce physiological arousal.

process of breathing retraining

Step 1: psychologist/doctor teaches person with specific phobia how to control breathing. this will include:

• slow and deep inhalations followed by slow and controlled exhalations

• counting slowly when breathing in and out

Step 2: learner uses these breathing techniques when facing the phobic stimulus. this helps to restore oxygen levels, activates the parasympathetic nervous system and reduces anxiety