Exposure in vivo vs applied relaxation in the treatment of blood phobia

Psychotherapeutic Interventions for Phobias: A Review

“…Exposure treatment for specific phobia had its origins in systematic desensitization [117,118], a treatment in which the patient imagines the feared stimulus while simultaneously engaging in relaxation exercises. However, early studies revealed that in vivo exposure is superior to systematic desensitization in the treatment of phobias [119], and relaxation training alone has not been found to improve treatment outcome [120].…”

The role of cognitions, trait anxiety and disgust sensitivity in generating faintness around blood–injury phobic stimuli

“…This activation is associated with the fight or flight response (Cannon, 1927), and co-ordinates the body's responses to stresses (Rhoades & Pflanzer, 1992). Unlike other specific phobias, blood-injury phobia involves a second autonomic nervous system response that entails activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (American Psychiatric Association, 1994;Ö st, Lindahl, Sterner, & Jerremalm, 1984) that involves an abrupt and severe drop in blood pressure and heart rate, increases in blood glucose, cortisol, and human growth hormone and decreases of noradrenaline (Vingerhoets, 1984). As blood pressure drops, a fainting episode (or vasovagal syncope; Lewis, 1932) may occur.…”

One session treatment for pediatric blood-injection-injury phobia: A controlled multiple baseline trial

“…In adults with BII, behavioural and cognitive-behavioural treatments have received empirical support with five-controlled treatment trials conducted to date (Hellstr€ om, Fellenius, & € Ost, 1996; € Ost, Fellenius, & Sterner, 1991;€ Ost et al, 1992;€ Ost, Lindahl, Sterner, & Jerremalm, 1984; € Ost, Sterner, & Fellenius, 1989). As is evident, these trials were conducted solely by € Ost and colleagues in Sweden and included the evaluation of a range of behavioural interventions including; massed or spaced exposure (e.g., confrontation of feared object or situation in a controlled manner, for a prolonged period of time), applied tension (e.g., brief tension of arms, legs and torso muscles, followed by release, not relaxation, of the muscles and implemented during exposure to BII stimuli), tension only (e.g., tension technique the same as that used in applied tension; however, patients are not exposed to BII stimuli), applied relaxation (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation in the context of exposure to BII stimuli, and a combination of applied tension and relaxation) (Ayala, Meuret, & Ritz, 2009;€ Ost et al, 1984€ Ost et al, , 1989.…”

“…As is evident, these trials were conducted solely by € Ost and colleagues in Sweden and included the evaluation of a range of behavioural interventions including; massed or spaced exposure (e.g., confrontation of feared object or situation in a controlled manner, for a prolonged period of time), applied tension (e.g., brief tension of arms, legs and torso muscles, followed by release, not relaxation, of the muscles and implemented during exposure to BII stimuli), tension only (e.g., tension technique the same as that used in applied tension; however, patients are not exposed to BII stimuli), applied relaxation (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation in the context of exposure to BII stimuli, and a combination of applied tension and relaxation) (Ayala, Meuret, & Ritz, 2009;€ Ost et al, 1984€ Ost et al, , 1989. In their systematic review of treatments for BII, Ayala et al (2009) concluded that regardless of type of intervention (e.g., exposure, applied tension), treatment was equivalent, with 70e80% of patients responding.…”