Cognitive-Behavior therapy with an 11- year-old girl fearful of AIDS infection, other diseases, and poisoning: A case study

An 11-year-old girl, fearful of AIDS infection, other diseases, and poisoning, was treated with self-control training followed by the addition of a home-based reinforcement system. Self-control training, which included deep breathing relaxation, positive self-statements, self-instructional training, and self-reinforcement, was effective in producing initial reductions in anxiety. When the treatment was supplemented with a home-based reinforcement system, the anxious episodes subsided completely. The effects of the total program were enduring; treatment gains were maintained at 2- and 14-month follow-up, and further reductions in self- and other-report measures were evident. Although the present study does not allow for the identification of the most effective components, the successful outcome suggests that the combination of self-control and operant procedures are worthy of continued empirical investigation.