One versus five sessions of applied tension in the treatment of blood phobia

Thirty patients with blood phobia, fulfilling the DSM-III-R criteria for simple phobia, were assessed with behavioral, physiological and self-report measures. They were randomly assigned to 3 different conditions: (1) 5 sessions of applied tension; (2) 1 session of applied tension (maximum 2 h); and (3) 1 session of tension-only (maximum 2 h). The results showed that the patients in the 3 treatments were all significantly improved at post-treatment and the effects were maintained at the 1 yr follow-up. At post-treatment and follow-up the proportions of clinically improved patients were: AT5 50 and 60%, AT1 0 and 70%, and T1 30 and 60%, respectively. The conclusion that can be drawn is that 1-session therapist-directed applied tension or tension-only is the treatment of choice for blood phobia, but completed with a maintenance program of self-exposure.