Elsevier

Behavior Therapy

Volume 20, Issue 4, Autumn 1989, Pages 491-497
Behavior Therapy

Telephone-guided treatment for housebound agoraphobics with panic disorder: Exposure vs. relaxation

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(89)80128-5Get rights and content

Thirty seven agoraphobics with panic disorder diagnosed in a telephone interview said they could not attend hospital for treatment. Of these, 23 agreed to self-treatment guided by phone and were randomized to exposure (n=13) or to relaxation (n=10), using self-instruction materials at home. Phobias and social adjustment improved significantly more in the 6 self-exposure cases who reached follow-up 32 weeks after trial entry than in the 8 comparable self-relaxation cases, who were more compliant yet did not improve significantly. Agoraphobics who say they cannot attend a clinic may be unusually severe and unmotivated cases, but telephone-guided exposure can help some of them.

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    Historically, a primary criticism regarding non face-to-face delivery systems has been a concern that delivery may not be beneficial. Although researchers completed little work with the use of letters, delivery of therapy via indirect means such as through the telephone has not only been found to be acceptable by clients (Reese, 2000), but also effective (McNamee, O'Sullivan, Lelliott, & Marks, 1989; Reese, Conoley, & Brossart, 2002). Thus, if the primary criticism against tele-health is efficacy, then with proper education regarding empirical findings provided to clinicians, more may be willing to experiment with such modalities.

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Mr. McNamee and Drs. O'Sullivan and Lelliot were supported by a grant from the UpjohnCompany.

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