Abstract
Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder where a person fears being in situations and places where they feel trapped or in danger, often because of openness or crowdedness. Although many believe it is just a fear of open or public places, it is much more complex and usually involves a range of different fears. In general, it can render people unable to function and the condition traps sufferers in a vicious cycle, preventing them from leaving home to seek the support or to attend treatment that might end the condition. Depending on how severe the condition is treatment may require one-to-one therapy in a patient's home and for the person to be escorted around the surrounding area, but this is often expensive and time-consuming. "Agoraphobia Free" is a new therapeutic app which aims to break this cycle by putting the two components of traditional treatment, namely education and exposure therapy (gradually exposing someone to their fear until it no longer scares them), in the hands of the users themselves via their phones or tablets. This study aims to look at the effectiveness of using the app for six weeks on the severity of symptoms in self-reported agoraphobia sufferers.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Type | Trial Registration |
| Media of output | ISRCTN Registry |
| Place of Publication | ISRCTN Registry |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |