AO3 Phobia Treatments

• Both participants and therapists rated flooding as significantly more stressful compared to systematic desensitisation.
• Why does flooding raise an ethical concern even if informed consent is given?


  Psychologists are knowingly causing stress to clients
• Which treatment is more cost effective?


  Flooding as it can work in as little as one session
• Why is systematic desensitisation more appropriate for a diverse range of patients than flooding?


  Some sufferers of phobias may also have learning difficulties. This can make it difficult for them to understand what is happening during flooding
• Systematic desensitisation has low refusal rates and low attrition rates (patients dropping out of treatment) meaning it is acceptable to patients
• Flooding is less effective for what types of phobias?

  Social phobias
• Why is flooding less effective for social phobias?


  Social phobias have cognitive aspects