Mehr als Expo: Expositionstherapiegeneralisierung

Background. Exposure therapy (expo) is regarded as one of the most effective treatments for mental health conditions characterized through anxiety symptomatology. Its effectiveness was repeatedly demonstrated. However, it remains elusive how expo effects generalize and how an expo tailored to specific anxiety symptoms affects comorbidities. Research Question. What is the current state of research on generalization of exposure-based effects (exposure therapy generalization; ETG)? Can exposure-induced effects translate to other contexts, stimuli and comorbidities? Which factors and conditions account for ETG? Materials and Methods. To answer these questions, the present review was conducted to sight and summarize the empirical studies and reviews on ETG. The findings were embedded regarding routine care. Results. Successful expo treatment with specific stimuli and situations may lead to improvements in handling perceptually, thematically or conceptually similar fear stimuli and situations that were left untreated. Results on transdiagnostic therapy indicate that next to specific anxiety symptoms, expo can tackle comorbidities by targeting underlying factors. Disgust appears to be more persistent against ETG. Conclusion. Beneficial exposure-based effects go beyond the treated stimulus and can generalize to non-treated fears and comorbidities. Core implications of these findings for routine care and future research are discussed.