Exposure‐based treatments for fear and reactivity to medical procedures: A systematic review of the literature with implications for research and practice

Abstract

This systematic literature review following updated PRISMA guidelines investigated the application of exposure treatments to address phobias and highly reactive patterns associated with medical procedures. Through a search of APA PsycINFO followed by screening, 62 articles were identified spanning the years 1968–2021, encompassing a total of 715 participants and 11 medical procedures. Multiple variables were assessed across these articles, and common patterns were analyzed. The review reveals general trends within the field and offers valuable insights for future researchers and practitioners. Outcomes related to participants' proximity to receiving necessary medical care were recorded and discussed. Notably, to the authors' knowledge, this review appears to be the first systematic literature review focusing on the use of exposure treatments for addressing phobias related to medical procedures as a comprehensive category.