Introduction to the Special Issue: Integration of Technologies into Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for Fear-Based Conditions.

Abstract

Cognitive behavioral therapies are the first-line psychotherapeutics for fear-based conditions, including anxiety, obsessive-compulsive (OCD), and trauma-related disorders. Despite documented efficaciousness and effectiveness, various factors limit the availability of these evidence-based treatments. Technologies may be used to circumvent treatment barriers, improving access to care and optimizing treatments to address symptoms among those with fear-based conditions. Original research articles in this Special Issue include a study on provider use of digital mental health and extended reality technologies for the treatment of OCD; a stepped-care treatment study on trichotillomania, a condition highly comorbid with fear-based conditions; and a qualitative needs assessment for the development of a digital, trauma-informed, single-session intervention for foster caregivers. The Special Issue also includes two review pieces: one presenting treatment recommendations on generative artificial intelligence for exposure therapies and the second on treatment considerations for telehealth-delivered treatment for OCD.