THE BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT OF A YOUNG-ADULT WITH POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND A FEAR OF CHILDREN

In vivo desensitization and self-modeling were evaluated for effective ness in treating a 29-year-old female with an intense fear of children . Previous to, and independent of this study, this subject was diagnos ed as having post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stemming from a his tory of childhood abuse. The subject had been treated for PTSD without any impact on her reported fear of children. Initial assessments incl uded behavioral, physiological, and self-report measures of fear, anxi ety, and avoidance which all indicated a phobic level of response. Nin eteen sessions were conducted over a 6 month period. Sessions involved in vivo exposure to a number of situations involving children and als o included edited videotaped self-modeling. Following treatment, the s ubject stopped avoiding situations involving children, heart rate and blood pressure decreased slightly, confidence increased, and multiple fears in the client's life were reduced. A 5-month follow-up supported the treatment results.