Anxiety disorders: Article on the side effects of exposition-based psychotherapy

A new article on exposition-based psychotherapy for anxiety disorders has been published by Ingmar Heinig and colleagues. Cognitive behavioural therapy with exposition exercises is the preferred form of psychotherapeutic treatment for anxiety disorders. However, this approach is underutilised within the clinical practice. This is often due to concerns about the treatment’s undesirable side effects. We asked 629 patients about the side effects they experienced during the therapy.

42% of all patients reported having experienced at least one side effect during therapy. The most common side effects were worries about others finding out about their therapy, depressed mood and feelings of dependency towards the therapist (see figure). It was more common (94%) for patients to report positive side effects of the therapy, such as overall improvements in wellbeing and fewer problems with the past. The experience of these positive side effects remained stable 6 months post-treatment, whilst the negative side effects reduced over time. Interestingly, the credibility of and the satisfaction with the therapy continued to increase over the course of the exposition exercises.

Our article demonstrates that side effects are quite common, however, patients tolerate them well. The positive side effects of the therapy outweigh the negative side effects by far. At the beginning of each therapy, therapists should make patients aware of the expected consequences, in order for patients to form realistic expectations of the treatment.

You can read the article here.