Two Treatments for Fear of Flying Compared

Abstract

This study aimed to test a combined treatment with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), compared with CBT integrated with systematic desensitization, in reducing fear of flying. Participants were patients with aerophobia, who were randomly assigned to two experimental groups in a before- and after-treatment research design. The Flight Anxiety Situations Questionnaire (FAS) and the Flight Anxiety Modality Questionnaire (FAM) were used. The efficacy of each program was evaluated comparing the pre- and post-treatment levels of fear of flying within subjects. A comparison of the post-treatment scores between subjects was also conducted. Results showed the effectiveness of each model with a significant improvement in the examined psychological outcomes in both groups.