'You Want Me to Do What?!' Ethical Considerations When Conducting Exposure Tasks With Youth With Anxiety

Exposure tasks are a key ingredient in the treatment of anxiety symptoms and disorders in youth. Because exposure tasks involve the purposeful induction of a stress response, ethical considerations are warranted. In the current article, specific ethical considerations in the implementation of exposure tasks with youth populations are discussed, including those that are relevant prior to the use of exposures (i.e., clinician judgment and competence and informed consent) and those that are relevant as exposures are being implemented (i.e., avoiding harm, deception, debriefing, and limits of confidentiality). Suggestions and recommendations for keeping with standards and guidelines of the American Psychological Association Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct are offered.