Rethinking avoidance: Toward a balanced approach to avoidance in treating anxiety disorders

Sources

• Craske, M. G., Treanor, M., Conway, C. C., Zbozinek, T., & Vervliet, B. (2014). Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2014.04.006

  Level D Review

  Supports the claims that an inhibitory learning model of extinction has been proposed to optimise exposure, including expectancy violation and removal of safety signals, and that many people do not benefit or experience a return of fear. Recommendations are derived from theory and experiments, not tested here as a package.

• Hofmann, S. G., & Hay, A. C. (2018). Rethinking avoidance: Toward a balanced approach to avoidance in treating anxiety disorders. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.03.004

  Level D Review

  Supports the claim that avoidance maintains anxiety disorders in standard accounts but can, depending on its function, serve as a coping strategy that enhances perceived control. A theoretical argument.

• Foa, E. B., & Kozak, M. J. (1986). Emotional processing of fear: Exposure to corrective information. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.99.1.20

  Level D Theory

  Supports the claim that emotional processing theory requires activation of the fear structure plus corrective information. Theory; the efficacy of exposure therapies rests on later trials not cited here.