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The Spouse as Co-Therapist in the Treatment of Agoraphobia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

J. P. Cobb ,
A. M. Mathews ,
A. Childs-Clarke  and
C. M. Blowers
J. P. Cobb
Affiliation:
St George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, Tooting, London SW17 0RE
A. M. Mathews
Affiliation:
St George's Hospital Medical School
A. Childs-Clarke
Affiliation:
Springfield Hospital, 61 Glenburnie Rd., London SW17 7DJ
C. M. Blowers
Affiliation:
New Sussex Hospital, Windlesham Rd, Brighton BN1 3AS
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Summary

Involving the spouse as a co-therapist made no significant difference to the outcome of treatment in a controlled study of 19 married patients suffering from agoraphobia who were engaged in short-term home-based behavioural treatment. Improvement continued to 6-month follow-up. The marriages of those with some marital difficulties at the start tended to improve, whether or not the spouse was involved. Poor initial marital adjustment was not related to the degree of improvement in agoraphobic symptoms.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 144 , Issue 3 , March 1984 , pp. 282 - 287
Copyright
Copyright © 1984 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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