Self-Control Exposure Therapy for Children's Anxieties: A Preliminary Report

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a specific combination of exposure therapy and self-control for the treatment of children's anxieties. The procedure was demonstrated through application to ten 9-to 11-year-old Israeli children following the 1991 Gulf War, targeting the reduction of both acute anxiety, an outcome of the war situation, and their pre-existing separation anxiety. Intervention comprised a family intake, and three group sessions for children and parents. The intervention components included changing misconceptions, self-observation, daily reinforcement, self-control methods for exposure to feared stimuli, exposure assignments and parental self-control assignments. The results point to a rapid, positive response to the intervention with respect to both acute, post-war (N = 10) and chronic, pre-war anxiety-linked behaviors. Controlled outcome evaluation seems warranted by these preliminary findings.