title: Contamination-Focused Exposure as a Treatment for Disgust-Based Fears: A Preliminary Test in Spider-Fearful Women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Disgust is thought to play a prominent role in multiple anxiety disorders and fears, including spider phobia, though little attention has been given to specific treatment strategies that may be effective for multiple disgust-based fears.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In the present study, we evaluated contamination-focused exposure as a potential transdiagnostic treatment strategy for disgust-based fears in a spider fearful sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women with significant spider fear were randomized to three 30-minute sessions of exposure therapy involving repeated contact with a dirt mixture (n=17) or a waitlist control condition (n=17). Assessments of spider fear and disgust were administered at baseline and at one-week posttreatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At high (but not low) levels of pretreatment disgust propensity, exposure led to lower in vivo spider fear and perceived danger than waitlist, though exposure had no effects on spider-related disgust. Similar effects of exposure on spider fear were found at high levels of pretreatment spider-related disgust. Exposure also reduced fear and danger perceptions, but not disgust, related to a separate contamination assessment (touching a toilet). No effects of treatment were found on self-report measures of spider fear or disgust propensity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest contamination-focused exposure therapy may be an effective transdiagnostic treatment strategy for individuals with elevated disgust propensity. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Florida State University,Tallahassee,USA.
authors.forename: Jesse R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cougle
authors.affiliation: Florida State University,Tallahassee,USA.
authors.forename: Berta J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Summers
authors.affiliation: Florida State University,Tallahassee,USA.
authors.forename: Ashleigh M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: Florida State University,Tallahassee,USA.
authors.forename: Kirsten H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Dillon
authors.affiliation: Florida State University,Tallahassee,USA.
authors.forename: Nicholas P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Allan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D004644:Emotions; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007171:Implosive Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013112:Spiders; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Disgust; contamination fear; exposure therapy; spider phobia; transdiagnostic