Multicomponent standardized treatment programs for fear of flying: Description and effectiveness

This paper has two objectives. The first is to describe a multimodal, standardized treatment program used by the VALK Foundation, an agency that specializes in the treatment of patients with fear of flying. The second is to present the results of an evaluation of this program, particularly with regard to the effectiveness of a 2-day cognitive-behavioral group treatment program and a 1-day behavioral group treatment program for flying phobics. On the basis of individualized assessment, patients (N = 1,026) were nonrandomly assigned to 1 of the 2 group treatment modalities. Self-report data and behavioral indicators for fear of flying were collected at pretreatment and at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Complete data were obtained from 757 participants. Results showed that both treatment programs produced statistically significant, clinically relevant decreases in self-reported anxiety and behavioral anxiety indices. This paper explains the procedures and outcomes of a well-established clinical program. Limitations of the study are discussed and future research suggested.

[1]  Ø. Ekeberg,et al.  A cognitive/behavioral treatment program for flight phobia, with 6 months' and 2 years' follow-up , 1990 .

[2]  S. Murphy,et al.  The nature and treatment of fear of flying: A controlled investigation , 1983 .

[3]  P. Karoly Multicomponent behavioral treatment of fear of flying: A case report , 1974 .

[4]  G. Sidley A Multi-Component Intervention with a Lady Displaying an Intense Fear of Flying—A Case Study , 1990, Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy.

[5]  D. Clark A cognitive approach to panic. , 1986, Behaviour research and therapy.

[6]  Robert D. Dean,et al.  Fear of Flying: Impact on the U.S. Air Travel Industry , 1982 .

[7]  I. Marks,et al.  Fears, phobias, and rituals : panic, anxiety, and their disorders , 1987 .

[8]  W T Roth,et al.  Clinical characteristics of flight phobia. , 1997, Journal of anxiety disorders.

[9]  Richard van Dyck,et al.  Construction and psychometric characteristics of two self-report questionnaires for the assessment of fear of flying. , 1999 .

[10]  B. Rothbaum,et al.  Virtual reality exposure therapy in the treatment of fear of flying: a case report. , 1996, Behaviour research and therapy.

[11]  J. Aitken,et al.  The use of relaxation/densensitization in treating anxiety associated with flying. , 1984, Aviation, space, and environmental medicine.

[12]  M. Meldman,et al.  In vivo desensitization of an airplane phobia with penthranization. , 1969, Behaviour research and therapy.

[13]  A. Bandura Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. , 1977, Psychological review.

[14]  M S Denholtz,et al.  Automated treatment for flight phobia: a 3 1/2 year follow-up. , 1978, The American journal of psychiatry.

[15]  J. Clarke,et al.  THE ETIOLOGY OF PHOBIAS: A NONASSOCIATIVE ACCOUNT , 1995 .

[16]  Lars-Göran Öst,et al.  One versus five sessions of exposure in the treatment of flying phobia. , 1997, Behaviour research and therapy.

[17]  J. Borrill,et al.  Practitioner Report: Understanding cognitive change: a qualitative study of the impact of cognitive-behavioural therapy on fear of flying , 1996 .

[18]  P. Spinhoven,et al.  People who seek help for fear of flying: Typology of flying phobics , 1997 .

[19]  H Fischer,et al.  Gender and age differences in the prevalence of specific fears and phobias. , 1996, Behaviour research and therapy.

[20]  R. Diekstra,et al.  Fear of flying treatment programs for passengers: an international review. , 2000, Aviation, space, and environmental medicine.

[21]  C. Walder,et al.  Psychological Intervention in Civilian Flying Phobia , 1987, British Journal of Psychiatry.

[22]  Roberts Rj Passenger fear of flying: behavioural treatment with extensive in-vivo exposure and group support , 1989 .

[23]  Jacob Cohen Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences , 1969, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Research Design.

[24]  M. Williams,et al.  Fear of flight: behavior therapy versus a systems approach. , 1982, The Journal of psychology.

[25]  N. Jacobson,et al.  Clinical significance: a statistical approach to defining meaningful change in psychotherapy research. , 1991, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[26]  W. C. Swanson,et al.  Use of systematic desensitization in the treatment of airplane phobic patients. , 1973, Behaviour research and therapy.

[27]  David A. Sylvester,et al.  The epidemiology of common fears and phobia. , 1969, Comprehensive psychiatry.