Treatment of a case of arachnophobia through multimedia and progressive exposure

Abstract

 Susan, a 25-year-old university student, was diagnosed with a specific phobia of an animal type (arachnophobia) (DSM-5). We developed a single case design A-B, with a continuous assessment with different concurrent base-lines during treatment, and also a pre-post and two follow-up assessments (at 8 and 24 months). We used questionnaires about anxiety and arachnophobia. Measures of subjective anxiety and heart rate in response to each stimulus through all sessions were taken. The treatment comprised nine sessions of multimedia exposure: photographs, videos, simulated spiders, and real spiders. The objectives of the intervention were to reduce escape/avoidance and anxiety associated 

with situations related to spiders. The results showed in the pre-post assessment that scores decreased in anxiety questionnaires (Z = -2.758, p = .006), and also through the different base-lines (PND 100%). For Susan, after treatment spiders were no longer a problem in her life, she could approach small spiders without problems and even held a live tarantula in her hands. At follow-ups these gains were maintained two years later.