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Specific phobia 10-16 years after treatment.
J D Lipsitz1, S Mannuzza, D F Klein
1New York State Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, USA.
Depression and Anxiety
|December 22, 1999
Summary
Many individuals treated for specific phobia experience symptom recurrence years later. Long-term phobia recovery may not mean complete symptom cessation.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Specific phobia is a common anxiety disorder.
- Long-term outcomes of specific phobia treatments are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the long-term efficacy of specific phobia treatments.
- To investigate the enduring nature of treatment-induced recovery.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal follow-up of 28 participants treated for specific phobia.
- In-person, semi-structured diagnostic interviews conducted 10-16 years post-treatment.
- Assessment of current symptom severity and comorbid disorders.
Main Results:
- 62% of initial responders showed clinically significant symptoms at long-term follow-up.
- 45% of those considered fully recovered still had significant symptoms.
- No improvement was observed in participants unimproved at treatment termination.
Conclusions:
- Treatment response is linked to better long-term outcomes.
- Complete and enduring symptom cessation is not typical for specific phobia recovery.
- Phobia subtype, age of onset, severity, and comorbidity did not predict long-term outcomes.