The acceptability of an Internet-based exposure treatment for flying phobia with and without therapist guidance: patients’ expectations, satisfaction, treatment preferences, and usability

Abstract

Purpose

Internet-based treatments have been tested for several psychological disorders. However, few studies have directly assessed the acceptability of these self-applied interventions in terms of expectations, satisfaction, treatment preferences, and usability. Moreover, no studies provide this type of data on Internet-based treatment for flying phobia (FP), with or without therapist guidance. The aim of this study was to analyze the acceptability of an Internet-based treatment for FP (NO-FEAR Airlines) that includes exposure scenarios composed of images and real sounds. A secondary aim was to compare patients’ acceptance of two ways of delivering this treatment (with or without therapist guidance).

Patients and methods

The sample included 46 participants from a randomized controlled trial who had received the self-applied intervention with (n = 23) or without (n = 23) therapist guidance. All participants completed an assessment protocol conducted online and by telephone at both pre- and posttreatment.

Results

Results showed good expectations, satisfaction, opinion, and usability, regardless of the presence of therapist guidance, including low aversiveness levels from before to after the intervention. However, participants generally preferred the therapist-supported condition.

Conclusion

NO-FEAR Airlines is a well-accepted Internet-based treatment that can help enhance the application of the exposure technique, improving patient acceptance and access to FP treatment.

Keywords:

• Internet-based exposure
• expectations
• satisfaction
• treatment preferences
• usability
• flying phobia

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by funding from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spain; Plan Nacional I+D+I; grant no PSI2013-41783-R); Red de Excelencia (grant no PSI2014-56303-REDT) PROMOSAM, Research in processes, mechanisms and psychological treatments for mental health promotion from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (2014); a PhD grant from Generalitat Valenciana (VALi+d; grant no ACIF/2014/320); and CIBER (CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición is an initiative of ISCIII).

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.