Elsevier

Behavior Therapy

Volume 16, Issue 5, November 1985, Pages 452-467
Behavior Therapy

Enhancing agoraphobia treatment outcome by changing couple communication patterns**

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(85)80024-1Get rights and content

Twenty-four females meeting the DSM-III criteria for agoraphobia with panic attacks underwent partner-assisted exposure therapy followed by either Couples Relaxation Training or Couples Communication Skills Training. Posttest results indicated an advantage in favor of communications training. Subjects in this condition reported significantly lower scores on the agoraphobia subscale of the Fear Questionnaire, significantly more unaccompanied excursions out of the home, and performed significantly better on a Behavioral Approach Test than their counterparts in the relaxation group. While both groups demonstrated a slight tendency toward relapse at the 8-month follow-up, significant differences between groups were maintained on the Behavioral Approach Test and on the number of excursions out of the home. Communication training may help couples to identify and change patterns of interaction that impede agoraphobics' progress in overcoming phobic avoidance.

References (36)

  • RachmanS.

    The modification of agoraphobic avoidance behavior: Some fresh possibilities

    Behaviour Research and Therapy

    (1983)
  • TelchM.J. et al.

    Combined pharmacological and behavioral treatment for agoraphobia

    Behavior Research and Therapy

    (1985)
  • WatsonJ.P. et al.

    The effects of prolonged exposure to phobic situations upon agoraphobic patients treated in groups

    Behaviour Research and Therapy

    (1973)
  • AgrasW.S. et al.

    Phobia: Nature and measurement

  • AgrasW.S. et al.

    Social reinforcement in the modification of agoraphobia

    Archives of General Psychiatry

    (1968)
  • BeckA.T. et al.

    An inventory for measuring depression

    Archives of General Psychiatry

    (1961)
  • HafnerR.J.

    The husbands of agoraphobic women and their influence on treatment outcome

    British Journal of Psychiatry

    (1977)
  • HandI. et al.

    Group exposure in vivo for agoraphobics

    British Journal of Psychiatry

    (1974)
  • Cited by (73)

    • Applying systems to anxiety disorders

      2023, DSM-5-TR® and Family Systems: Second Edition
    View all citing articles on Scopus
    **

    Preparation of this manuscript was supported in part by a National Institute of Mental Health Research Training Grant MH16744 awarded the first author. We wish to express our gratitude to Helene Kraemer for her assistance in planning the data analysis, and to Reggie Kriss, Sharon Laurenza, and Susan Raeburn for conducting the communication and relaxation treatments.

    View full text