Case study: disgust and a specific phobia of buttons

The role of disgust in childhood phobias has received limited attention in the psychiatric literature. Available studies suggest that attention to the emotion of disgust is optimal for reduction of phobic symptoms given that the interaction between fear and disgust has been found to maintain and even exacerbate phobias. Disgust was targeted via imagery exposures as part of an exposure-based cognitive-behavioral intervention for a 9-year-old Hispanic American boy who presented with a specific phobia of buttons. Posttreatment, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up assessment results demonstrated maintenance of treatment gains. The role of disgust in treating specific phobias in children is discussed.