Active muscular relaxation in desensitization of phobic patients

Abstract

SynopsisEight phobic outpatients were treated by six sessions of desensitization followed by exposure or vice versa. Treatment was by visualization of phobic images up a hierarchy for 20 minutes at a time. During desensitization patients were relaxed before and after each image, while during exposure they looked at a neutral slide instead. Skin conductance activity was significantly lower during relaxation than during observation of the neutral slide. The patients, therapist, and a ‘blind’ assessor rated the main phobia as significantly improved for both treatments together. Each of the two treatments contributed similarly to improvement during and after treatment sessions, on measures of main phobia, subjective anxiety, and heart rate. Relaxation training appears to be redundant to the desensitization procedure.