The Use of In Vivo Desensitization for the Treatment of a Specific Phobia of Earthworms

Abstract

Graduated in vivo desensitization was used to treat an intense fear of earthworms in a female college student. The participant reported intense physiological anxiety and avoidance behavior in situations where worms could be encountered. Treatment outcome was measured using a behavioral avoidance test (BAT) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Exposure therapy sessions required the client to confront a variety of anxiety-producing situations arranged in a hierarchy. Results indicated that at posttreatment the client was able to complete the BAT and was able to complete the fear hierarchy. State anxiety scores as measured by the STAI declined by 50% from pretreatment to posttreatment. In addition, the client reported little subjective anxiety and no avoidance of situations where worms might be present at posttreatment. The client maintained all posttreatment gains at 1-, 5-, and 8-month follow-ups.

Keywords

specific phobia earthworm phobia exposure therapy behavior therapy

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author .

Ayers, J.J.B. (1998). Fear conditioning and avoidance. In W. O'Donohue (Ed.), Learning and behavior therapy (pp. 122-145). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Barlow, D.H. (2002). Anxiety and its disorders (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford.

Burklow, K.A. , & Linscheid, T. (2004). Rapid inpatient behavioral treatment of choking phobia in children. Children's Health Care, 33, 93-107.

Coldwell, S.E. , Getz, T. , Milgrom, P. , Prall, C.W. , Spadafora, A. , & Ramsay, D.S. (1998). CARL: A LabVIEW 3 computer program for conducting exposure therapy for the treatment of dental injection fear. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 429-441.

Gasman, D.H. (1992). Double-exposure therapy: Videotape homework as a psychotherapy adjunct. American Journal of Psychotherapy , 46, 91-101.

Gunnar, G.K. (2002). One session group treatment of spider phobia by direct or modeled exposure. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 31, 18-24.

Hayes, S.C. , Barlow, D.H. , & Nelson-Gray, R.O. (1999). The scientist practitioner: Research and accountability in the age of managed care (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon .

Haynes, S.N. , & O'Brien, W.H. (1999). Principles and practice of behavioral assessment. New York: Plenum.

10.

Jones, K.M. , & Friman, P.C. (1999). A case study of behavioral assessment and treatment of insect phobia. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 32, 95-98.

11.

Menzies, R.G. , & Clarke, J.C. (1993). The etiology of childhood water phobia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 31, 499-501.

12.

Menzies, R.G. , & Clarke, J.C. (1995). The etiology of acrophobia and its relationship to severity and individual response patterns. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33, 795-803.

13.

Narayana, K.C. , Chakrabarti, S. , & Grover, S. (2004). Insecticide phobia treated with exposure and response prevention: A case report. German Journal of Psychiatry, 7, 12-13.

14.

Ost, L.G. (1989). One session treatment for specific phobias. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 27, 1-7.

15.

Ost, L.G. , Brandberg, M. , & Alm, T. (1997). One versus five sessions of exposure in the treatment of flying phobia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35, 987-996.

16.

Ost, L.G. , & Hugdahl, K. (1981). Acquisition of phobias and anxiety response patterns in clinical patients. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 19, 439-447.

17.

Ost, L.G. , Stridh, B.M. , & Wolf, M. (1998). A clinical study of spider phobia: Prediction of outcome after self-help and therapist-directed treatments. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 17-35.

18.

Rent, T.O. , Powers, M.B. , Smits, J.A. , Cougle, J.R. , & Telch, M.J. (2003). Active-imaginal exposure: Examination of a new behavioral treatment for cynophobia (dog phobia). Behaviour Research and Therapy, 41, 1337-1353.

19.

Sanchez, J.P.E. , Carrillo, X.M. , & Amoros, M.O. (2004). Applied tension and gradual exposure in a case of injections phobia. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 4, 425-438.

20.

Spielberger, C.D. (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Rev. ed.). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

21.

Sturges, J.W. , & Struges, L.V. (1998). In vivo systematic desensitization in a single-session treatment of an 11-year old girl's elevator phobia. Child and Family Behavior Therapy, 20, 55-62.

22.

White, C. , & Sellwood, W. (1995). Cognitive factors in the maintenance of injection phobia. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 23, 57-61.

23.

Wolpe, J. (1973). The practice of behavior therapy. New York: Pergamon.