Recent developments in the intervention of specific phobia among adults: A rapid review.

Abstract

F1000 Faculty Reviews are written by members of the prestigious . They are F1000 Faculty commissioned and are peer reviewed before publication to ensure that the final, published version is comprehensive and accessible. The reviewers who approved the final version are listed with their names and affiliations. AbstractSpecific phobia is highly prevalent worldwide. Although the body of intervention studies is expanding, there is a lack of reviews that summarise recent progress and discuss the challenges and direction of research in this area. Hence, this rapid review seeks to systematically evaluate the available evidence in the last five years in the treatment of specific phobias in adults. Studies published between January 2014 to December 2019 were identified through searches on the electronic databases of Medline and PsychINFO. In total, 33 studies were included. Evidence indicates that psychotherapy, and in particular cognitive behaviour therapy, when implemented independently or as an adjunctive, is a superior intervention with large effect sizes. Technology-assisted therapies seem to have a beneficial effect on alleviating fears and are described to be more tolerable than exposure therapy. Pharmacological agents are investigated in vivo solely as adjuncts to exposure therapy, but the effects are inconsistent; propranolol and glucocorticoid may be promising. A handful of cognitive-based therapies designed to alter fear arousal and activation pathways of phobias have presented preliminary, positive outcomes. Challenges remain with the inherent heterogeneity of specific phobia as a disorder and the accompanying variability in outcome measures and intervention approaches to warrant a clear conclusion on efficacy. A Randomized, Controlled Trial With a 6-Month Follow-Up. J Arthroplasty. 2018; 33(3): 704-10. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | F1000 Recommendation 12. Soravia LM, Heinrichs M, Winzeler L, et al.: Glucocorticoids enhance in vivo exposure-based therapy of spider phobia. Depress Anxiety. 2014; 31(5): 429-35. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | F1000 Recommendation 13. Rouhe H, Salmela-Aro K, Toivanen R, et al.: Group psychoeducation with relaxation for severe fear of childbirth improves maternal adjustment and childbirth experience--a randomised controlled trial. J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol. 2015; 36(1): 1-9. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text 14. Dumville JC, Torgerson DJ, Hewitt CE: Reporting attrition in randomised controlled trials. BMJ. 2006; 332(7547): 969-71. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | Free Full Text 15. Klabbers GA, Wijma K, Paarlberg KM, et al.: Haptotherapy as a new intervention for treating fear of childbirth: a randomized controlled trial. J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol. 2019; 40(1): 38-47. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | F1000 Recommendation 16. Rondung E, Ekdahl J, Hildingsson I, et al.: Heterogeneity in childbirth related fear or anxiety. Scand J Psychol. 2018; 59(6): 634-43. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | F1000 Recommendation 17. Tellez M, Potter CM...

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