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A Treatment Package without Escape Extinction to Address Food Selectivity
Published on: August 21, 2015
Protocolized Intervention for Children and Adolescents With Phagophobia
Andrea Begotka1, Alan Silverman, Praveen Goday
1From the Division of Pediatrics, Pediatric Psychology and Developmental Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI.
Abstract:
We aimed to prospectively evaluate the effectiveness of a protocolized shaping intervention in children with phagophobia, which occurs when an aversive oral experience causes fear of swallowing and can result in restricted oral intake and weight loss. Twenty-one children (12 males) diagnosed with phagophobia (mean age 8.5 years) underwent initial medical workup and a pediatric psychologist driven shaping protocol. The outpatient protocol involved graduated food exposure with anxiety reduction strategies to eliminate anxiety and expand participants' diet. The participants completed an average of 6 treatment sessions. Post-treatment, there was a significant increase in weight, total number of foods consumed, and number of foods consumed across food groups and texture. Additionally, self-reported subjective units of distress were low for all participants throughout treatment. We conclude that after appropriate medical workup behavioral treatment is safe and efficacious in children with phagophobia and returns children to premorbid functioning and diet.
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