Treatment of anxiety through systematic desensitization in therapy groups.

Abstract

The effects of short-term treatment by modified systematic desensitization in time-limited intensive therapy groups were evaluated in a matched groups design. 10 chronically anxious college males, treated by the group method, were evaluated on the basis of personality and anxiety scales against an "owncontrol" period, and 4 equated groups of 10 Ss each. 1 group served as an untreated control for evaluating extra-treatment effects on college grade-point average (GPA), as an objective, public criterion. Ss in the remaining groups received 1 of the following individual treatments: systematic desensitization, insight-oriented psychotherapy, or an attention-placebo treatment. The group method produced several significant improvements, suggesting that combined group desensitization offers an efficient and effective treatment for socialevaluative anxiety.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Act) vs. Systematic Desensitization in Treatment of Mathematics Anxiety

“…Systematic desensitization more broadly (Lazarus, 1961;Paul & Shannon, 1966) and as applied to math anxiety specifically (Suinn, 1968;Suinn et aI., 1970), has been successfully adapted for use in groups. By contrast, there have been no reports of directly comparing ACT when administered individually versus in a group.…”

Using the prospective approach as an adjunct to established models of group psychotherapy

“…Proponents of the behavioral model have advocated exclusive focus on desensitization procedures that coach the members as they traverse an anxiety hierarchy. McManus (1971) and Paul and Shannon (1966), on the other hand, recommend desensitization techniques with greater interaction among members, enabling the patients to defuse their anxiety.…”

Group desensitization of dissimilar anxieties

“…Systematic desensitization in a group format has proven an effective, efficient means for reducing a variety of specific anxieties (Calef & MacLean, 1970;Dua, 1972;Katahn, Strenger, & Cherry, 1966;Lazarus, 1961;Paul & Shannon, 1966). Group desensitization gains much of its efficiency because several individuals with the same anxiety can develop a common hierarchy and be desensitized at the same time.…”