A girl with a phobia of flying is treated with systematic desensitization. Which finding indicates that the therapy has been successful?

Appeared in: NORCET-11 Mains

Explanation

Systematic desensitization is a type of behavior therapy that aims to replace a fear response with a relaxation response.
Success is measured by the client's ability to confront and engage with the feared stimulus or situation in real life without experiencing debilitating anxiety.
Completing a short flight is the ultimate behavioral goal in this scenario, representing the successful navigation of the entire fear hierarchy.
This action provides objective evidence that the conditioned fear response has been extinguished and replaced with a neutral or relaxed response.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

Option B: This demonstrates cognitive insight, not behavioral change. A person can logically understand that a fear is irrational but still experience an overwhelming physiological and emotional fear response.
Option C: Planning is an intention to act, not the action itself. The client may still experience significant anxiety and avoidance when the time to travel arrives, preventing them from actually taking the flight.
Option D: This is a subjective self-report. While positive, it is not as reliable or objective as a demonstrated behavioral change. The goal of therapy is to enable function, not just to make the person feel slightly better.

Related Visual

Steps of Systematic Desensitization. The flowchart should illustrate the three core phases: 1. Teaching relaxation techniques e.g., deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxatio...

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Indicators of successful systematic desensitization therapy for phobias helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Nurses play a crucial role in reinforcing coping strategies and relaxation techniques taught during therapy, especially in inpatient or community mental health settings.
It is vital to celebrate small successes along the fear hierarchy to maintain the client's motivation and build self-efficacy.
Patient education is key; nurses can help explain the rationale behind gradual exposure to reduce apprehension about the process.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core concept of the question, which is 'systematic desensitization' and how to measure its success.
Recall the principles of this therapy. It is a behavioral therapy, meaning the primary goal is to change behavior.
Analyze the options to determine which one represents a concrete, observable change in behavior related to the phobia.
Option A ('completes a short journey by flight') is a direct action and the ultimate goal for someone with a fear of flying.
Options B, C, and D represent thoughts ('phobia is irrational'), intentions ('plans a tour'), and feelings ('fear has lessened'), respectively. These are positive but are not the definitive behavioral outcome.
Conclude that the strongest evidence of success in a behavioral therapy is the successful performance of the target behavior.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Indicators of successful systematic desensitization therapy for phobias.
Stem keywords: phobia of flying, systematic desensitization, therapy successful
Lead-in keywords: Which finding indicates
Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

QI6H-_U5LSR7hy_iwr_VGt

Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) pp. 5859-5861, 5845-5847

E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 2422-2424

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