Exposure therapy based on an inhibitory learning approach: A systematic review

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature on exposure therapy based on an inhibitory learning approach and to comprehensively summarize the accumulation of studies on this approach and its effectiveness. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. A screening and eligibility assessment identified 59 articles on exposure therapy based on the inhibitory learning approach. The literature was categorized according to the inhibitory learning approach’s specific strategies, and the intervention’s effects were reviewed. As a result of the overview, it became clear that there was an insufficient number of studies for each study, except for those pertaining to the use of partial agonists of NMDA receptors. Furthermore, although 33 of the 59 studies showed intervention effects, the breakdown of the studies was skewed. Therefore, it is thought that the inhibitory learning approach is not adequately effective, and further research data and research methods should be devised in the future.