Systematic desensitisation

• Systematic desensitization


  A behavioral therapy for phobias that involves gradually exposing the patient to the phobic stimulus while using relaxation techniques
• Systematic desensitization


  1. Teach relaxation techniques

  2. Create a hierarchy of fear

  3. Work through the hierarchy using relaxation techniques
• Systematic desensitization


  • Gradually exposes the patient to the phobic stimulus
  • Aims to replace the fear response with a relaxed response (counter-conditioning)
• Relaxation techniques


  • Deep breathing
  • Muscle relaxation
• Hierarchy of fear


  • Cartoon of spider
  • Photo of spider
  • Spider in box
  • Spider out of box on table
  • Spider on hand
  • Spider crawling on face
• Avoidance behavior prevents learning that the phobia is not actually harmful
• Gradual exposure to phobic stimulus

  Helps the patient realize the stimulus is not dangerous
• Strengths of systematic desensitization

  • Effective treatment, can be done through apps, doesn't require much thinking from patient, can be used for a wide range of phobias
• Studies on effectiveness


  • Bronson and Thor study on technophobes
  • Gil study on fear of spiders
• Systematic desensitization is more acceptable than flooding (sudden exposure)
• Systematic desensitization may not be effective for all phobias, especially evolutionary phobias
• Systematic desensitization vs. drugs

  Therapy is more expensive and time-consuming, but treats the cause rather than just the symptoms
• Systematic desensitisation (SD)


  • Effective in treating phobias
  • Potential for symptom substitution
• Firm uses SD to treat spider phobia

  Patients less fearful of spiders after 3 months compared to control group
• SD treats phobia symptoms

  Does not address underlying cause, may lead to symptom substitution
• SD vs flooding for treating mouse phobia

  SD more effective than flooding or no treatment
• SD vs supportive psychotherapy for treating phobias

  Both equally effective
• Exposure to phobic stimulus in SD

  Can be distressing, may lead to patients dropping out
• SD

  • More ethical than drugs or flooding
  • Widely applicable to different phobia sufferers
  • Teaches long-term relaxation skills
• SD for phobias with evolutionary basis


  May be less effective than for learned phobias
• SD treatment


  Expensive, requires trained therapists, less available due to NHS funding issues