Digital Exposure Therapy

Technology-based interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) show promising evidence of effectiveness (e.g., Sijbrandij et al., 2016; Kuester et al., 2016; Lewis et al., 2019) and acceptability to users (Simon et al., 2019), although studies are still relatively few and the quality of evidence needs improvement (Simon et al., 2021). Technology-based care can help address many of the most important barriers to PTSD treatment, including lack of available services, distance from clinics, difficulty scheduling during work hours, and stigma associated with mental health problems (Morland et al., 2017). For Prolonged Exposure (PE) and other exposure treatments, the potential benefits of technological adaptation include not only an increase in access to PE, but also increased client engagement with the treatment (e.g., completion of exposure assignments), increased treatment fidelity, and improved treatment outcomes. While studies have indicated that PE can be effective when delivered via telehealth and virtual reality, this chapter focuses on Internet and mobile phone application (app) technologies.