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Results for “Desensitization, Psychologic”

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At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Case series utilizing exposure, relaxation, and rescripting therapy: impact on nightmares, sleep quality, and psychological distress.

Experiencing a traumatic event may initiate or exacerbate the occurrence of nightmares. Nightmares may impact sleep quality and quantity, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and depression. Recently, imagery rehearsal has gained attention in the treatment of trauma-related nightmares and is reported to be promising in the reduction of nightmares. On the basis of the vast literature describing the therapeutic benefits of exposure techniques for anxiety-related problems, the treatment was modified to enhance the exposure component. This article presents a case series using this modified version of imagery rehearsal, Exposure, Relaxation, and Rescripting Therapy, with 1 male and 3 female participants. Overall, the participants treated reported a reduction in nightmare frequency and severity; 3 out of 4 participants also reported a reduction in posttraumatic stress and depression symptomotology and an increase in sleep quality and quantity. Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Qualitative and quantitative effects of treatment for dental fear and avoidance.

In a Swedish community-based program for the treatment of dental phobic patients, a clinical trial was performed among 99 severely phobic individuals with long-standing avoidance of dental treatment. The modes of treatment compared were dentistry under general anesthesia and a broad-based psychophysiological therapy both followed by conventional dental treatment. Psychometric as well as overt behavioral measures were used to elucidate initial state and changes in patients' dental fear and behaviors. Quantitative and qualitative data are presented of initial and long-term (two years) treatment effects. The results indicate a significantly better effect for the psychophysiological therapy.

Anesthesia, Dental↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Behavior therapy and neurotic behavior].

The first part of the lecture presents three classical aspects of behavior therapy: therapeutic efficiency, utilisation of well defined methods, rapidity of treatment. Emphasis is brought to the importance of behavior analysis and to the dangers arisen from insufficient knowledge or ignorance of learning theories and fundamental principles of behavior analysis. One insists on experimental analysis which is the basis for methods of action having as consequence for the therapeut: controlling strategy of treatment and direct responsibility concerning success and failure. Then, actual limitations of behaviour therapy are described. The second part deals with one of the most important working hypothesis on human neurosis originating from laboratory and clinical research. Behavior therapy refuses to elaborate hypothetical deductive constructions, unless working hypotheses to be verified. Then the four essential clues to behavioural psychotherapy are formulated. The main methods of action presently utilized are presented: aversive methods, operational and systematic desensitization technics through reciprocal inhibition. Finally, some of the main criticism usually made on behaviour therapy are being discussed.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1983

Agoraphobia, compulsive behaviours and behaviour completion mechanisms.

Anxiety is identified with a state of high arousal. Agoraphobia is differentiated from specific phobias which are inherent responses to situations which threatened primitive man. In agoraphobia, attacks of high arousal are produced by situations which delay ongoing activity. It is hypothesised that such delays produce arousal by activating behaviour completion mechanisms. Evidence is reviewed which indicates desensitization has a lasting effect in agoraphobia but not in specific phobias. It is suggested that desensitization reduces the arousal produced by behaviour completion mechanisms. Aversive therapy in homosexuality reduces the subjects' drive to carry out compulsive sexual behaviours but does not alter sexual orientation. It is suggested that compulsive sexual behaviours are not activated by primary sexual drives but by behaviour completion mechanisms which are also responsible for other compulsive behaviours. Aversive therapy acts by reducing the arousal produced by the behaviour completion mechanisms. As both aversive therapy and desensitization reduce such arousal, desensitization should be able to replace aversive therapy in the treatment of compulsive behaviours.

Agoraphobia↗
PubMed1986

Psychological treatment of phobic anxiety associated with adjuvant chemotherapy.

A 50-year-old patient with breast cancer was about to withdraw from her adjuvant chemotherapy regimen because of a long-standing phobia about being injected, which had been compounded by anxieties that were associated with the severe side-effects of adjuvant chemotherapy. She experienced a conditioned nausea response to hospital and medical situations. A psychological programme that incorporated relaxation training, systematic desensitization by way of the patient's visual imagination and videotape modelling, allowed her to complete the course of chemotherapy and to feel less anxious in hospital and medical settings.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1995

Treatment of Vietnam War veterans with PTSD: a comparison of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, biofeedback, and relaxation training.

Analyses of scaled self-report data from Vietnam War veterans receiving inpatient treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder drawn during a program evaluation study suggested inpatient treatment as provided by the program resulted in significant improvement in the areas of Anxiety, Anger, Depression, Isolation, Intrusive Thoughts (of combat experiences), Flashbacks, Nightmares (of combat experiences), and Relationship Problems. Comparing the relative effects of the incremental addition of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Relaxation Training, and Biofeedback found that EMDR was for most problems the most effective extra treatment, greatly increasing the positive impact of the treatment program.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1979

Treatment of fear-induced aggression in a horse.

Desensitization (gradually exposing an animal to a fear-inducing stimulus without evoking the fear response) and counter-conditioning (rewarding the animal for behavior incompatible with the fear response) are highly successful ways of eliminating or reducing fear responses and corresponding aggression.

Aggression↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Physiological mechanisms of flooding (implosion) therapy.

Desensitization of psychological and physiological complex structures may be the most important element of flooding treatment. The implosive sessions are assumed to represent a supramaximal stimulation of pathologically excited and inert complex structures resulting in protective inhibition, irradiation of excitation, reduction of the excitation and inertness, and a decrease of the overshooting autonomic reactivity of the complex structures, leading to reduction of anxiety, aggression, and other pathologically increased feelings. Advantages such as stronger and improved flooding can be achieved by a flooding in hypnosis. The therapeutic indications go beyond the usual treatment of phobic states. In order to establish the psychological and physiological mechanisms in implosion there is a need for psychophysiological investigations. However, much is unknown about mechanisms. Controlled comparisons with other treatments give limited answers. Perhaps an international case history bank might establish which clinical conditions might benefit by technical modifications of flooding.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Desensitization and guided mastery: treatment approaches for the management of dyspnea.

Dyspnea is a frequent and distressing symptom for people with cardiopulmonary disease. Activity tolerance with presumably less dyspnea has been shown to increase after patients have been exposed to higher than usual dyspnea in a safe, monitored environment. Authors have suggested this decrease in dyspnea with activity may be due to a process of "desensitization" to the anxiety associated with the shortness of breath. The use of desensitization for other symptoms and phobias has evolved over time from an exposure-anxiety approach to a coping-mastery paradigm, labeled by some as guided mastery. This article reviews selected research studies that have used desensitization and guided mastery to treat other symptoms and phobias. Components of these two approaches are described and clinical strategies incorporating the two techniques with pulmonary patients during exercise-induced dyspnea are presented. A conceptual model that relates the two treatment approaches to the perception of the symptom and health outcomes is proposed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Treatment fidelity and research on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing was introduced by Frances Shapiro (1989) as a treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. When controlled studies failed to support the extraordinarily positive findings and claims made by Shapiro, proponents of EMDR raised the issue of treatment fidelity and criticized researchers for being inadequately trained. This paper considers the issues raised by EMDR proponents. It is concluded that treatment fidelity has been used as a specious, distracting issue that permits the continued promotion of EMDR in the face of negative empirical findings. Clinical psychologists are urged to remember the basic tenets of science when evaluating extraordinary claims made for novel techniques.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1978

The application of covert conditioning procedures to the outpatient treatment of drug addicts: four case studies.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of covert conditioning procedures in the outpatient treatment of drug addicts who wished to decrease or cease use of drugs. A desensitization design proved unsuccessful in reducing craving in an opiate user with a 2-year history of abuse. Three sensitization designs with addicts who had abused opiates from 2 to 13 years produced no more than a temporary decrease in drug craving or taking. Although there appeared to be some potency in the application of covert aversive counterconditioning and mixed aversive conditioning, the procedures were not capable of producing an enduring decrease in drug craving or taking in any of the subjects. Problems in the outpatient treatment of drug addicts using covert conditioning procedures are discussed. Recommendations for further study are made, with an emphasis on use of a multiform approach.

Adult↗