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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1975

Symptomatic treatment of agoraphobia and social phobias: a follow-up study.

1. Twenty-six out of 28 out-patients with agoraphobia and social phobias who had originally been treated with phenelzine or placebo in a double-blind clinical trial were followed up for a mean period of one year. During the follow-up period patients received further pharmacotherapy or behaviour therapy, except that those patients originally receiving placebo were not allowed therapy with monoamine oxidase inhibitors. 2. Ratings of phobic and additional symptoms, social adjustment and degree of personality disorder were made after one year by one of the authors (D.S.) who had no prior knowledge of the treatment each patient had received. 3. There were no significant differences in any of the ratings between the patients of the two groups, but those originally receiving placebo had more additional treatment in the follow-up period. Patients continuing to receive phenelzine frequently experienced a return of symptoms if the drug was withdrawn before six months treatment had elapsed. 4. Degree of personality disorder showed a significant negative correlation (p = -0.6) with improvement in the phenelzine group but not in those receiving placebo originally. 5. Improvement in social adjustment items was less than improvement in symptoms at follow-up. The implications of this are discussed. 6. The results suggest that phenelzine is of comparable efficacy to other symptomatic treatments for agoraphobia and social phobias, but that it acts mainly by symptom suppression. Prolonged treatment in patients with personality disorders is not indicated, for improvement is less likely and the dangers of dependence are greater.

Agoraphobia↗
PubMed1979

A comparison of three behaviour therapies in the treatment of social phobia.

This study examined the effects of desensitization, flooding and social skills training on social fears. The patients were 30 social phobics. All three treatments were associated with useful therapeutic gains during the period of treatment that were maintained over a six-month follow-up period. No differences were found between treatments.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Alcohol dependence and phobias: clinical description and relevance.

Of 102 alcoholics admitted to an alcoholism treatment unit one third (33) were clinically rated as having a disabling agoraphobia and/or social phobia, and a further third (37) as having less disabling phobic symptoms of either or both kinds. Questionnaires and self-report symptom scales were used to validate the clinical ratings. Alcohol problem screening tests and consumtpion levels confirmed the severity of alcohol dependence. In a group of 44 phobic alcoholics who reports and physical dependence significantly more frequently than the converse. The prevalence of agoraphobia and social phobia in alcoholics is discussed in relation to prevalence date in affective and normal populations, together with their implications for the aetiology of phobias and alcohol det approaches and prognosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

An uncontrolled trial of clomipramine (Anafranil) in the treatment of phobic and obsessional states in general practice.

A small, open, multicentre trial of clomipramine (Anafranil, Geigy Pharmaceuticals) in the management of phobic and obsessional states was performed in general practice. New rating devices were used. Twenty-seven patient suffering from a variety of phobias and obsessions were treated with doses of clomipramine up to a maximum of 225 ng daily for six weeks. In phobic subjects best results were obtained in social phobias, agoraphobia and diffuse phobic anxiety, situational anxiety, interference, avoidance and autonomic effects all responding. An improvement of between 33% and 47% was seen in obsessional symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Towards rational therapy with monoamine oxidase inhibitors.

A rational approach to the use of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) is outlined. Patients suitable for treatment cannot be classified adequately using conventional diagnostic labels. They include those with primary symptoms of hypochondriasis, agoraphobia and social phobias, irritability, somatic anxiety and anergia; those with primary depressed mood, guilt, ideas of reference and personality disorders seldom respond. There is great variation in the interval between the first administration of these drugs and clinical response, and this may account for the inconsistencies in published trials. The type of drug and its dose may affect rate of response, as may biochemical factors, including acetylator and monoamine oxidase status. To obtain maximum benefit, a course of therapy with MAOIs should last for several months.

Adjustment Disorders↗
PubMed1977

A large open multicentre trial of clomipramine (Anafranil) in the management of phobic disorders.

In a large, open, multicentre trial, conducted in general practice, 765 patients suffering from agoraphobia or social phobias were treated with clomipramine (Anafranil, Geigy Pharmaceuticals). Four hundred and eight patients completed a twelve-week course of treatment. Of 285 withdrawals, 139 were due to side-effects. Good results were obtained on all measures of phobias in those patients who completed the study, the improvements being of the order of 70-80%, and over 50% of patients being symptom-free.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Use of MAOI antidepressants.

The monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) exert significant antidepressant, antianxiety and antiphobic effects. They are safe, provided the patients are carefully selected for treatment and are given instructions on incompatible foods and drugs that must be avoided. The MAOIs represent effective alternatives to the tricyclic antidepressants. Phenelzine is an excellent agent for treating ambulatory patients with neurotic depression and those with agoraphobia and social phobias.

Adjustment Disorders↗
PubMed2026

Does future-oriented imagery rescripting increase willingness to carry out a social anxiety-related behavioral experiment? An extended replication.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mental images of threat are common in social anxiety disorder and could impede exposure to fear-relevant situations. Landkroon et al. (2022) found that imagery rescripting of anticipated future threat, compared to no-task, increases willingness of non-clinical individuals to conduct a social anxiety-related behavioral experiment. The aim of this two-day preregistered extended replication study was to examine whether the effects persist beyond the intervention session by scheduling the behavioral experiment 1-7 days after the intervention. METHODS: On Day 1, 60 pre-screened participants were asked to design a behavioral experiment to test an idiosyncratic negative belief about a feared social situation. They were then randomly assigned to imagery rescripting (focused on their worst feared outcome of the behavioral experiment) or no-task. Participants' willingness to do the behavioral experiment and their threat beliefs was measured. On Day 2, they were asked to carry out the behavioral experiment. RESULTS: The imagery rescripting group, compared to the control group, did not show increased willingness or compliance to do the behavioral experiment on Day 1 or 2. Furthermore, the imagery rescripting did not lead to greater reductions in threat beliefs on either day. LIMITATIONS: The quality of the imagery rescripting intervention was not assessed, and given the brief nature of the intervention, any effects may have dissipated before participants decided whether to carry out the behavioral experiment. CONCLUSIONS: There was no evidence that imagery rescripting leads to changes in willingness or compliance to do a fear-relevant behavioral experiment. More research is needed to examine interventions that can enhance exposure in socially anxious people.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Gender-specific pathways linking body dissatisfaction, self-disgust, and social anxiety in Chinese adolescents: A three-wave longitudinal study.

Adolescence is a critical period for physical and psychological development. Body dissatisfaction is a significant concern during this stage, contributing to psychological issues such as social anxiety. However, the longitudinal relationships among body dissatisfaction, self-disgust, and social anxiety, as well as the potential role of gender differences in these dynamics, remain unclear. A total of 1109 junior high school students in China completed the baseline survey, with data collected at three time points (Mage = 12.67 years, SD = 0.68; 51.9% girls). Data were collected using the Body Areas Satisfaction Scale (BASS), the Self-Disgust Scale (SDS), and the Social Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to examine the longitudinal mediating effects among body dissatisfaction, self-disgust, and social anxiety, as well as to explore gender differences in these relationships. After controlling for autoregressive effects of self-disgust and social anxiety across waves, body dissatisfaction at T1 was found to indirectly predict social anxiety at T3 through self-disgust at T2, while indirectly predicting self-disgust at T3 through social anxiety at T2. Multi-group analyses revealed significant gender differences: for females, only the mediating pathway with self-disgust as the mediator was significant; for males, only the pathway with social anxiety as the mediator was significant. These findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the emotional mechanisms linking body dissatisfaction to social anxiety and highlight the importance of considering gender-specific pathways in prevention and intervention efforts.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2026

Online Social Anxiety in the Digital Age: Transitions, Predictors, and Mental Health Associations in Emerging Adulthood.

BACKGROUND: Online social anxiety (OSA), a multidimensional form of social evaluative anxiety in online social contexts, disproportionately affects emerging adults who constitute the largest active group of media users and face heightened psychological sensitivity due to growing pressures and immature sociocognitive regulation during the transition to adulthood. However, its heterogeneity, transitions, and longitudinal associations with mental health outcomes remain underexplored. METHODS: This study utilized data from two waves of a three-wave longitudinal survey, with 849 Chinese participants (Meanage = 21.6 years; 50.4 percent female) assessed at 4-month intervals. Individuals were classified using latent profile analysis and the stability and changes of profiles were assessed via latent transition analysis (LTA). Multinomial logistic regressions were conducted separately at baseline and follow-up to identify correlates of profile membership. Predictors of profile transitions were examined using manual three-step LTA models, and associations between latent transition patterns and follow-up mental health outcomes were examined using BCH-LTA distal outcome analyses controlling for the corresponding baseline symptom level. RESULTS: Four profiles of OSA were identified: low, privacy-sensitive, moderate-high, and high OSA. Extreme profiles (low/high OSA) showed high stability (80.4 percent and 79.1 percent), while privacy-sensitive OSA exhibited the lowest stability (55.1 percent). Profile memberships were influenced by social-cognitive biases and digital interaction, particularly fear of negative evaluation and online interpersonal trust, whereas profile transitions were mainly associated with anxiety. Transitions toward less severe OSA profiles were generally associated with better subsequent mental health, whereas transitions toward more severe profiles corresponded to poorer outcomes, particularly for offline social anxiety. CONCLUSION: OSA was heterogeneous in its manifestation, severity and transitions. Personalized and early interventions targeting profile-specific vulnerabilities are critical to prevent the worsening of OSA and mitigate its psychological burden.

Humans↗
PubMed1979

Agoraphobia: a follow-up study four years after treatment.

Seventy agoraphobic out-patients were followed up prospectively for four years after treatment; the improvements manifested during treatment were found to be maintained and partly augmented. At the end of follow-up, 75% of the patients had improved on the main phobia. No clear relationship was found between external control, social anxiety, depression and duration of the complaint at the beginning of treatment on the one hand and the results at follow-up on the other. The disorders remained phobic, no other neurotic symptoms having developed during the follow-up period.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

School phobia: classification and treatment.

Ninety-nine cases of school phobia seen at a child guidance clinic over a period of twelve years were divided into acute and chronic groups and investigated in several ways. The results indicate that the children of both groups are more likely to be the eldest or youngest in the family. Acute school phobia is more likely to occur in youngest children with two or fewer siblings, and mothers tend to be older. It is most common in adolescence and seems often to be precipitated by stress. Chronic school phobia is likely to occur in a child from a larger family and with a younger mother. It is more common in social class V and in children of mentally ill parents. Implications for treatment are discussed.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A behavioral approach to post-catastrophic illness work phobias.

Two patients developed work phobias following major catastrophic physical illness. A combined approach to addressing their specific fears of returning to premorbid levels of work function utilized deep muscle relaxation, imagery based desensitization, social reinforcement, and shaping techniques. A significant increase in adaptive function and decrease in depressive symptomatology resulted in both cases within six weeks after initiation of treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

[Specific points of view on the education and psychological developement in children with cystic fibrosis].

A sample of 21 parents were interviewed about the psychological development of their Cystic Fibrosis children and their way of education. Additionally 18 children - 6 to 15 years old - were examined by means of psychological tests. The results of the interviews demonstrate favourable behaviour in education, the parents being tolerant and consequent. The children were often described as reasonable and mature. There were seldom complaints about problems in education and behaviour. Some families are exercising an overprotecting way of education. The positive general impression with regard to the emotional and social develoment of these children was confirmed by the applied personality tests. Concerning the factor ""emotional stability'' there were no important statistical discreptancies to healthy children of the same age; examination phobias, aversion against school and conscious fears were found significantly more seldom in comparison to other children. It was stated, however, that aggressive emotions were inhibited. Finally there was a marked sense for responsibility beside a deficit in the development of independance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Case report: an attendant-administered contingency management programme for the treatment of a toileting phobia.

A fifteen-year-old mentally retarded child, institutionalised for eleven years, displayed an intense fear of urinating in a toilet. As a result, he wet his pants at a frequent rate. In an attempt to eliminate this fear a variety of response-contingent consequences were programed (token reinforcement, social reinforcement, time-out). The effects of introducing structured contingencies resulted in a steady reduction in the frequency of pants wettings. During a follow-up phase of evaluation, when programmed contingencies were discontinued, the problem behaviour had been completely eliminated. At that time the child was initiating his own bathroom visits and toileting himself in an appropriate manner.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Using a hospital for desensitization of an outpatient's illness-related fears.

An outpatient with phobias related to enclosed places, hospitals, doctors, and cancer was treated by systematic desensitization; the facilities of a general hospital were used for part of the process. Steps in treatment included securing a complete psychiatric and social history, teaching the patient relaxation therapy techniques, and establishing a hierarchy of anxiety-provoking stimuli specifically related to the patient's fears. After desensitization the patient was able to enter the hospital for tests for a physical ailment and showed a general decrease in her fears.

Adult↗