A Transdiagnostic Approach to the Treatment of Emetophobia: A Single Case Study

The fear of vomiting (i.e., Emetophobia) causes substantial distress for affected individuals, and is associated with hypervigilance to somatic sensations, panic attacks, and behavioral avoidance. Interventions for Emetophobia have traditionally relied heavily on exposure to vomit, vomiting, and vomit-related cues, providing some challenges in identifying appropriate graded exposures for Emetophobia due to medical and hygiene concerns. Recent efforts have been made to treat psychopathology transdiagnostically; however, very few efforts have been made to reduce Emetophobia symptoms in such a fashion, without the explicit use of vomit-related exposures. The current case study describes the cognitive-behavioral, transdiagnostic treatment approach utilized to treat a young woman with Emetophobia. We report significant symptom reduction at the end of therapy, as well as at a 7-month follow-up. The current study provides further evidence that emetophobia can be effectively resolved utilizing transdiagnostic strategies and without direct exposure to vomit or vomit-like stimuli