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Treatment of Dental Fear: Systematic Desensitization or Coping?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 June 2009

Joel A. Harrison ,
Ulf Berggren  and
Sven G. Carlsson
Joel A. Harrison
Affiliation:
Department of Education, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Ulf Berggren
Affiliation:
Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry and Public Health City of Gothenburg, Sweden
Sven G. Carlsson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
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Extract

Thirty-two extremely anxious dental patients were given a modified form of systematic desensitization. In order to evaluate the importance of cognitive factors, a procedure of cognitive coping was added to the therapy program for half of the patients. Results show that treatment outcome was significantly better for the group without the addition of coping elements. It is suggested that the adverse effect observed may reflect an interference by the cognitively-oriented therapeutic activities with an otherwise effective therapeutic process.

Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 17 , Issue 2 , April 1989 , pp. 125 - 133
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 1989

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