No abstract

Various investigations into the relative effectiveness of different treatment procedures with agoraphobic patients (e.g. Emmelkamp, 1974; Emmelkamp and Wessels, 1975) have shown that in-vivo exposure is a common factor in successful aproaches. Emmelkamp (1974) has suggested that in-vivo exposure is the essential element of treatment which may eventually result in habituation. He has also demonstrated (Emmelkamp and Emmelkamp-Benner 1975) that group treatment can be just as effective as the same approach used individually, which has obvious implications for cost-efficiency.

Seventeen female agoraphobic patients were treated in three groups by in vivo exposure over 10 sessions. Dependent measures comprised an assessment using a behavioural hierarchy and an assessment of subjective anxiety. Pre-treatment assessment of the number of problems and fears, interpersonal variables and personality as measured by the E.P.P.S. were also carried out. Correlational evidence was sought of relationships between pre-treatment assessment variables and treatment outcome. It was found that low scores for “Aggression” on the E.P.P.S. and the rated ability of designated significant others to manage the agoraphobics' behaviour successfully were predictive of good outcome. Possible reasons for and implications of these findings are discussed.

Examined previous notions about the nature of agoraphobia. A contrast of emphasis was found between those who regarded it primarily as a situational fear and others who saw it essentially as a product of some underlying anxiety. A more precise situational analysis was attempted that focused on six variables: Unaccompanied vs. with someone, distance from home, familiarity of location, crowdedness, type of location, and time spent. One hundred and twenty‐eight situation descriptions were generated by factorially combining the different levels of each variable. The items thus produced were assembled randomly into a questionnaire that was completed by 30 agoraphobic patients. The importance of the contribution of each variable to the rated fearprovoking potential of the situation description was analyzed. Results were discussed in terms of the agoraphobic as typically dependent upon a significant other, and treatment implications were examined.