Large-group one-session treatment
- \(\textbf {Objective:}\) Exposure based large-group one-session treatments (LG-OSTs) proved feasible in different situational fears and showed promising short- and long-term outcomes. Based on prior LG-OST protocols we explored feasibility and effectiveness of an LG-OST protocol in four cohorts of individuals highly fearful of heights (\(\it N\) = 104). Moreover, we aimed to identify predictors of LG-OST outcome in order to provide individualized treatment recommendations in the future. \(\textbf {Methods:}\) Participants’ fear of heights was assessed at pre- and post-treatment as well as at 5 months follow-up using questionnaires and a behavioral approach test (BAT). Pre-treatment indices of negative emotional traits and positive mental health, the extent by which fear-evoking expectancies were violated during exposure, and post-treatment group perception processes were assessed in order to predict the outcome. \(\textbf {Results:}\) The LG-OST procedure proved feasible and effective in terms of both subjective and behavioral fear of heights. Post-treatment effects sizes of questionnaires assessing fear of heights ranged between \(\it d\) = 0.94 – 1.43. After the treatment, about half of the participants (49.5%) were able to ascend an aerial fire ladder up to a maximum of 30 m (vs. pre-treatment 17.3%). Follow up results showed the long-term stability of effects. Among psychological constructs, positive mental health and expectancy violation were the strongest predictors of LG-OST long-term outcome. \(\textbf {Conclusion:}\) We conclude that exposure based LG-OSTs are feasible, effective and very efficient compared to individual face-to-face settings. Thus, they represent very promising treatment alternatives for situational fears including fear of heights. Moreover, clinical research may benefit from LG-OST protocols as its high standardization may facilitate the search for mediators and moderators of exposure outcomes.
Author: | André WannemüllerGND, Piotr GruszkaGND, Sarah ChwalekGND, Sonja FröhlichGND, Miriam MuldersGND, Svenja SchaumburgGND, Johanna SchöttesGND, Sonja WiederholdGND, Jürgen MargrafORCiDGND |
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URN: | urn:nbn:de:hbz:294-68054 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02411 |
Parent Title (English): | Frontiers in psychology |
Subtitle (English): | feasibility in highly height fearful individuals and predictors of outcome |
Publisher: | Frontiers Media |
Place of publication: | Lausanne |
Document Type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Date of Publication (online): | 2019/12/10 |
Date of first Publication: | 2019/10/24 |
Publishing Institution: | Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsbibliothek |
Tag: | Open Access Fonds exposure treatment; group treatment; height phobia; large-group one-session treatment; one-session treatment |
Volume: | 10 |
Issue: | Artikel 2411 |
First Page: | 2411-1 |
Last Page: | 2411-11 |
Note: | Article Processing Charge funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and the Open Access Publication Fund of Ruhr-Universität Bochum. |
Institutes/Facilities: | Forschungs- und Behandlungszentrum für psychische Gesundheit |
Fakultät für Psychologie, Klinische Psychologie & Psychotherapie | |
Dewey Decimal Classification: | Philosophie und Psychologie / Psychologie |
open_access (DINI-Set): | open_access |
faculties: | Fakultät für Psychologie |
Licence (English): | Creative Commons - CC BY 4.0 - Attribution 4.0 International |