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A short note on forty patients treated by systematic desensitization
Bchav.Ra. & Therapy. 1970.Vol. 8. pp. 219to220.Pergamon Rcrr.
Printed
in England
A short note on forty patients treated by systematic (Received 8 December
desensitization
1969)
FORTY patients, 20 male and 20 female, were referred to the author for behaviour therapy. The age range was from 17 to 57, and the I.Q. range was from 83 to 131. On the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale (Taylor, 1953), the scores ranged from 7 to 46, and on the Maudsley Personality Inventory (Eysenck, 1956), the Neuroticism score for the group ranged from 5 to 48, and the Extraversion score ranged from 2 to 41. Despite wide variation in individuals, the group as a whole may be considered as being of slightly above average intelligence, within the normal range for extraversion, but having high neuroticism and anxiety scores. All patients were treated by Wolpe’s (1958) method of systematic desensitization, and relaxation was induced by hypnosis or by intravenous injections of Methohexitone sodium. A carefully constructed hierarchy was prepared for each patient. The patients suffered from phobias (12), sexual disorders (9). stuttering (I), alcoholism (9), drug addiction (7). gambling (I) and war neurosis (1). The outcome on discharge was that, of the 40 patients, 30 showed marked improvement, 5 showed slight improvement, and 5 no change. This would indicate a marked improvement rate of 75 per cent, and if one adds the patients who showed slight improvement, this gives a total improvement rate of 87.5 per cent. The patients who do not seem to have benefited from the therapy were four heroin addicts and the compulsive gambler. As a result of a follow-up one year later, it was seen that of the 30 patients rated as “markedly improved” on discharge, 28 or 93 per cent maintained their improvement. With the exception of the heroin addicts and the compulsive gambler, all the patients benefited to some degree from systematic desensitization therapy. The patients who made a good response to systematic desensitization were those who suffered from phobic disorders, various types of sexual disorder, alcoholism and those addicted to “soft drugs”.
TABLE
1. OUTCOME 0~ DISCHARGE OF 40 PATIENTS TREATED BY SYSTEMATICDESENSITIZATION
Diagnostic
categories
Marked improvement
Slight improvement
No change
Phobias (N = 12)
9
3
0
Alcoholism (N = 9)
9
0
0
Drug (a) (b) (c)
addiction (N = 7) Barbiturates Drinamyl Heroin
I 2 0
0 0 0
0 0 4
Compulsive gambling (N = 1)
0
0
I
Sexual disorders (N = 9) (a) Frigidity (b) Premature ejaculation Cc) Sexual perversions
4 2 1
2 0 0
0 0 0
S/urferirIg
1
0
0
I
0
0
30
5
5
(N = I)
War neurosis (N = I) Total
219
‘20
LE-IIJZRS TO THE EDITOR TABLE 2.
FOLLOW-UP RESULTS ONE YEAR .AFTER DISCHAftCE
&larked improvement maintained
Murked improvemenr (N = 30) Slight improvement (N = 5) No improvement (X=5) Total
Slight improvement maintained
SO
change
Not
contacted
2s 0 0
2 , 0
0 2 4
0
78
‘4
6
2
I
I
Tot.1 KR,AFT
Claybury Hospital Woodford Bridge, Essex
REFERENCES EYSENCK H. J. (1956)
113-140. TAYLOR J. (1953) WOLPE J. (1958)
The quexionnairz
A personality Psychotherapy
measurement
of nenroticism
and extraversion.
Riv. psicol.
scale of manifest anxiety. J. abnorm. sot. Psycho/. 48, 285-290. by Reciprocal Inhibition. Stanford University Press, Stanford.
50,
Printed
in England
A short note on forty patients treated by systematic (Received 8 December
desensitization
1969)
FORTY patients, 20 male and 20 female, were referred to the author for behaviour therapy. The age range was from 17 to 57, and the I.Q. range was from 83 to 131. On the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale (Taylor, 1953), the scores ranged from 7 to 46, and on the Maudsley Personality Inventory (Eysenck, 1956), the Neuroticism score for the group ranged from 5 to 48, and the Extraversion score ranged from 2 to 41. Despite wide variation in individuals, the group as a whole may be considered as being of slightly above average intelligence, within the normal range for extraversion, but having high neuroticism and anxiety scores. All patients were treated by Wolpe’s (1958) method of systematic desensitization, and relaxation was induced by hypnosis or by intravenous injections of Methohexitone sodium. A carefully constructed hierarchy was prepared for each patient. The patients suffered from phobias (12), sexual disorders (9). stuttering (I), alcoholism (9), drug addiction (7). gambling (I) and war neurosis (1). The outcome on discharge was that, of the 40 patients, 30 showed marked improvement, 5 showed slight improvement, and 5 no change. This would indicate a marked improvement rate of 75 per cent, and if one adds the patients who showed slight improvement, this gives a total improvement rate of 87.5 per cent. The patients who do not seem to have benefited from the therapy were four heroin addicts and the compulsive gambler. As a result of a follow-up one year later, it was seen that of the 30 patients rated as “markedly improved” on discharge, 28 or 93 per cent maintained their improvement. With the exception of the heroin addicts and the compulsive gambler, all the patients benefited to some degree from systematic desensitization therapy. The patients who made a good response to systematic desensitization were those who suffered from phobic disorders, various types of sexual disorder, alcoholism and those addicted to “soft drugs”.
TABLE
1. OUTCOME 0~ DISCHARGE OF 40 PATIENTS TREATED BY SYSTEMATICDESENSITIZATION
Diagnostic
categories
Marked improvement
Slight improvement
No change
Phobias (N = 12)
9
3
0
Alcoholism (N = 9)
9
0
0
Drug (a) (b) (c)
addiction (N = 7) Barbiturates Drinamyl Heroin
I 2 0
0 0 0
0 0 4
Compulsive gambling (N = 1)
0
0
I
Sexual disorders (N = 9) (a) Frigidity (b) Premature ejaculation Cc) Sexual perversions
4 2 1
2 0 0
0 0 0
S/urferirIg
1
0
0
I
0
0
30
5
5
(N = I)
War neurosis (N = I) Total
219
‘20
LE-IIJZRS TO THE EDITOR TABLE 2.
FOLLOW-UP RESULTS ONE YEAR .AFTER DISCHAftCE
&larked improvement maintained
Murked improvemenr (N = 30) Slight improvement (N = 5) No improvement (X=5) Total
Slight improvement maintained
SO
change
Not
contacted
2s 0 0
2 , 0
0 2 4
0
78
‘4
6
2
I
I
Tot.1 KR,AFT
Claybury Hospital Woodford Bridge, Essex
REFERENCES EYSENCK H. J. (1956)
113-140. TAYLOR J. (1953) WOLPE J. (1958)
The quexionnairz
A personality Psychotherapy
measurement
of nenroticism
and extraversion.
Riv. psicol.
scale of manifest anxiety. J. abnorm. sot. Psycho/. 48, 285-290. by Reciprocal Inhibition. Stanford University Press, Stanford.
50,