Comparative analysis of phobias with psychotherapy and psychopharmacology

Abstract

This dissertation is a comparative analysis of phobias treated with psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. The dissertation include introduction, 3 chapters, as well as sub-chapters included in each chapter, conclusion, references and appendices. In the introductory part include: relevance of the research, the subject of the research, the object of the research, the goals and tasks of the research, the hypotheses of the research, the research methods, the practical importance of the research, the novelty of the research and the structure of the research. The first chapter of the dissertation called " Overview of anxiety disorders. Treatment of anxiety disorders using psychotherapy and psychopharmacology" and consists of four sub-chapters. This chapters provides a comprehensive exploration of anxiety disorders with a focus on phobias. It explores various treatment approaches, including psychotherapy and psychopharmacology, discussing their mechanisms and effectiveness in comparative terms. The sub-chapter "Comparative studies on the effectiveness of psychotherapy vs psychopharmacology for phobias" examines and compares the effectiveness of psychotherapy versus psychopharmacology in the treatment of phobias. It assesses various studies and clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy, benefits, limitations, and patient outcomes associated with each treatment method. The second chapter of the dissertation is called “Methods and methodologies of research”. In the first half of the second chapter, the organization and conduct of the research are discussed. In the data collection subchapter of the dissertation, the methodology for gathering relevant patient information and assessing anxiety levels is detailed. This subchapter includes the use of two primary tools: the “Demographic Data Questionnaire” developed by the author and the “Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A)”, a method established in 1959 by Max Hamilton, to assess anxiety levels in patients aged 15-60 years”. The third chapter of the dissertation is called “Results interpretation”. For the data analysis, were selected within the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software (version 29.0). To the results obtained from the study patients treated with a combination of psychotherapy and psychopharmacology exhibit fewer symptoms of anxiety disorders compared to those treated with pharmacotherapy alone. Also acording to the results the efficacy of both combined psychotherapy and psychopharmacology treatment, as well as medication-only treatment, varies with age; older adults experience a less pronounced reduction in anxiety symptoms post-treatment. The dissertation is finished with the conclusion and references.