Treatment of anxiety through systematic desensitization in therapy groups.

Abstract

The effects of short-term treatment by modified systematic desensitization in time-limited intensive therapy groups were evaluated in a matched groups design. 10 chronically anxious college males, treated by the group method, were evaluated on the basis of personality and anxiety scales against an "own-control" period, and 4 equated groups of 10 Ss each. 1 group served as an untreated control for evaluating extra-treatment effects on college grade-point average (GPA), as an objective, public criterion. Ss in the remaining groups received 1 of the following individual treatments systematic desensitization, insight-oriented psychotherapy, or an attention-placebo treatment. The group method produced several significant improvements, suggesting that combined group desensitization offers an efficient and effective treatment for social-evaluative anxiety.