TITLE

How psychologists can help patients with injection fear

DESCRIPTION

In this difficult time period of the Covid-19 pandemic, many people who would desire to be vaccinated find themselves being controlled by their phobias and injection fears.   Given the high stakes Psychologists need to step in and use empirically studied methods to help reduce the fear.  “Now people like Noles (case subject) must weigh long-standing fears about needles and injections versus the life-saving benefits of an effective vaccine against a highly contagious virus. For patients who seek help, psychologists can provide exposure therapy for the most fearful and pain management strategies, including distraction, positive reframing, and the use of numbing creams, for those with lower-level fears.”  The APA article discusses research in the area of injection fears, the causes of the fears from painful childhood experiences, and some patients’ physiological vasovagal reactions to medical procedures.  The article provides a detail summary of the “exposure therapy” regimen that Psychologist can use to help the individual successfully manage the fear and get the necessary medical treatment and injection.

SOURCE

American Psychological Association Monitor, April 2, 2021, by Charlotte Huff (volume 52, #4)

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/06/injection-fear

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

•According to the APA article, what are some of the reasons that individuals develop injection fears?

•How can events in early childhood condition injection fears?

•What does it mean to have a physiological vasovagal reaction to a medical procedure such as an injection?

•What is exposure therapy?  Under what circumstances is it used as an intervention?

•How is exposure therapy used to desensitize injection fears?