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Application of behavioral principles in the management of suffocation phobia: a case study of chronic respiratory
V J Malatesta1, B L West, R J Malcolm
1Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia 19139.
This case study presents the first application of behavioral techniques in the management of psychological reactions associated with respiratory weaning. A forty-eight-year-old woman, with a history of brain stem dysfunction and repeated respiratory arrests participated in a four-week behavioral treatment program designed to 1) eliminate suffocation fear and depression, 2) promote respiratory self-sufficiency, and 3) facilitate successful ventilatory weaning. At one year follow-up, the patient continued to display no evidence of respiratory difficulty, depressive symptomatology, or agitated mood states.
This case study presents the first application of behavioral techniques in the management of psychological reactions associated with respiratory weaning. A forty-eight-year-old woman, with a history of brain stem dysfunction and repeated respiratory arrests participated in a four-week behavioral treatment program designed to 1) eliminate suffocation fear and depression, 2) promote respiratory self-sufficiency, and 3) facilitate successful ventilatory weaning. At one year follow-up, the patient continued to display no evidence of respiratory difficulty, depressive symptomatology, or agitated mood states.