Symposia
Child / Adolescent - Anxiety
Emily M. Becker-Haimes, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Rebecca Stewart, PhD
Assistant Professor
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Hannah E. Frank, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Postdoctoral Fellow
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island
Background: Exposure therapy (EXP) for anxiety and related disorders has strong support for its efficacy and effectiveness. Yet, it is the least used evidence-based intervention in routine clinical practice, with a long-acknowledged public relations problem. Despite a wealth of research aimed at improving EXP uptake, EXP’s marketing and branding remains an untapped target. We first will review principles from marketing theory that support rebranding and repackaging of EXP to improve its public perception among target end-users (i.e., practicing clinicians). Second, we present preliminary data on clinician preferences for the use of alternative terminology developed to be more palatable and marketable- “Supported Approach of Feared Experiences – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (SAFE-CBT)” - compared to traditional terminology.
Methods: We surveyed 49 practicing clinicians familiar with EXP with youth (M age = 35; 76% female, 74% White) from diverse settings (37% private practice, 15% community, 34.1% hospital, 7.3% school or university, 6.9% other) about their preferences on SAFE-CBT terminology compared to traditional terminology (“Exposure Therapy” or “Exposure-Based CBT”).
Results: There was variability in terminology preferences, with differences between when respondents were asked to think about the ideal terminology they would want to use with patients seeking treatment vs. a novice clinician (X2(4) = 10.44; p = .034). SAFE-CBT was endorsed as the preferred term when talking to patients, whereas only a minority (8%) preferred it for use with novice clinicians.
Conclusions: There was a stark difference between the language clinicians reported wanting to use to explain the treatment to those seeking care, compared to that to be used for clinicians in training. This suggests perception of a different valence or meaning behind SAFE-CBT compared to EXP that might make it more attractive. That said, SAFE-CBT was not unanimously perceived as a welcomed alternative to traditional nomenclature for use with clinicians. We conclude by discussing implications of results for future efforts to disseminate EXP more widely and set an agenda for future research in this space.