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Clinical Trial
. 2001 Jun:178:543-8.
doi: 10.1192/bjp.178.6.543.

Two-year follow-up after a randomised controlled trial of self- and clinician-accompanied exposure for phobia/panic disorders

J M Park  1 , D Mataix-Cols, I M Marks, T Ngamthipwatthana, M Marks, R Araya, T Al-Kubaisy
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Two-year follow-up after a randomised controlled trial of self- and clinician-accompanied exposure for phobia/panic disorders

J M Park et al. Br J Psychiatry. 2001 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Long-term follow-up has rarely been reported after self-exposure therapy for phobias.

Aims: Completion of such a follow-up.

Method: Two-year follow-up was achieved in 68 (85%) of 80 patients with phobias who had completed a previous 14-week randomised controlled trial comparing therapist-accompanied self-exposure, self-exposure or self-relaxation. Measures were self-reported ratings of symptoms, satisfaction and use of other treatment.

Results: Improvement at week 14 was maintained 2 years later. Clinician-accompanied exposure and self-exposure did not differ on any measure. Compliance with self-exposure homework during weeks 0-8 predicted more improvement 2 years later. Patients who failed to improve with relaxation by week 14 improved after subsequent crossover to exposure. A need for more treatment for their phobias was still felt by 33 patients (49%).

Conclusions: Patients with phobias maintained their improvement to 2-year follow-up after the end of self-exposure therapy.

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