Psychotherapy

Abstract

Forty phobic patients were treated with reciprocal inhibition by aversion relief. The development and modification of this technique are described. The patients were divided into two groups, agoraphobic (N = ₃ 1) and non-agoraphobic (N = 9) and their symptomatology was assessed in psychiatric interviews and on various psychological questionnaires and rating scales, before and after treatment. The mean age of the agoraphobic patients was higher, their illness lengthier, their anxiety score higher and their fears more numerous. They had an average of 28.5 half-hour treatment sessions while the non-agoraphobic patients had 23.6. The majority of patients were followed up for a mean period of 9.9 months for agoraphobics and 14.8 for non-agoraphobics. The results indicate that 75% of agoraphobic patients and 89% of non-agoraphobic patients were rated recovered or much improved at termination of therapy, and at follow up, 63% of agoraphobic patients and 75% of non-agoraphobic patients were rated recovered or much improved. Differences between the two groups and factors important to the treatment paradigm are discussed.