The Treatment of Agoraphobia

Abstract

Exposure in vivo, rational emotive therapy, and self-instructional training were compared with 43 agoraphobics as subjects. After six treatment sessions exposure in vivo was clearly superior to the cognitive treatment on measures of phobic anxiety and avoidance. Additional exposure in vivo sessions for all conditions led to continuing improvement. Results at the posttest suggest that the cognitive strategies did not enhance the effects of exposure in vivo.