TITLE
A fear of needles or injections may keep some from COVID-19 vaccine. This treatment can help.
DESCRIPTION
Sorry for being anecdotal: my dear friend has a number of physical problems that require medical attention that usually begins with needed blood work. Also this friend will not get necessary vaccinations (flu, pneumonia, tetanus, and now Covid), and this is all because of a terrible fear of needles. The friend sounds immature and makes jokes when discussing this; however all of us understand that the problem is needle phobia. There are lots of reasons that people give for not getting the Covid vaccine, and one of these is just plain fear of needles. As regards the Covid vaccine: “… there’s a serious problem that gets overlooked when we talk about “vaccination hesitancy”: Many adults have confidence in the vaccine itself, but are terrified of getting a shot. They may make all sorts of excuses for why they are delaying or refusing, but secretly, they avoid because they fear pain, puncture, or fainting during administration. Research shows that 3% to 5% of adults meet criteria for blood-injection phobia and that about 10% have significant needle fears.” “Many who avoid needle jabs report nausea and fainting before, during, or after medical procedures. These occur because the physical response to the fear of blood and needles differs from that too, say, fear of dogs or snakes. In blood-injection phobia, there is initially the typical fear response of panicked fight-or-flight, with a rapid heart rate and spike in blood pressure. For the unlucky minority who inherited it, there is then a second, more dramatic, reflex where heart rate and blood pressure fall. This is called an exaggerated vasovagal response that can result in nausea and sometimes a temporary loss of consciousness.” The article is fascinating and concludes with a discussion of exposure therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that will help with successfully overcoming the fear. The discussion of the solution is important to understand in the application of Psychological principles.
This article can be used in conjunction with the chapters on conditioning, abnormal behavior, and therapy.
SOURCE
The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 29, 2021, by Katherine K. Dahlsgaard
LINK TO RESOURCE
(Tiny URL) https://tinyurl.com/4f4kv8ac
CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
•According to the article, what is “vaccine hesitancy”?
•What are the causes of “vaccine hesitancy”?
•What is exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy? How are these used to reduce the fear/phobia of needles?
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