NCT00948974

Variations of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 88 (actual)
• Sponsor: Drexel University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of two variants of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (cognitive therapy (CT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)), for the treatment of generalized social anxiety disorder.

Detailed description

We are recruiting a clinical sample of patients who meet diagnostic criteria (per DSM-5) for the generalized subtype of social anxiety disorder. Participants are randomly assigned to the two active intervention conditions; no placebo or sham treatments will be employed. Assessments take place at baseline, pre-treatment, mid-treatment, post-treatment, and at 3- and 12-months follow-up; participants also complete a brief weekly assessment of functioning. Treatment is administered individually by trained graduate students in clinical psychology, directly trained and supervised by the PI and Co-PI. Participants receive 12 weekly 1-hour long sessions. The study design is a 2 (treatment condition) by 5 (assessment occasion) mixed factorial design.

Conditions

• Social Anxiety Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Cognitive Therapy	Cognitive therapy (CT) highlights the identification and reappraisal of distorted or dysfunctional cognitions in the treatment of psychopathology. For example, socially anxious patients are taught to identify the thoughts and underlying beliefs that trigger strong emotional reactions (e.g., "if I attempt to initiate a conversation I'll humiliate myself"), and then replace these with more accurate, functional thoughts. There is a large body of research supporting the efficacy of CT for mood and anxiety disorders, and for social anxiety disorder in particular (Beck, 2005).
BEHAVIORAL	Acceptance and Commitment Therapy	ACT does not attempt to modify cognitions directly, but rather seeks to foster a mindful acceptance of whatever thoughts or feelings arise, while still pursuing specific behavioral goals. For example, the individual would be taught simply to notice the thoughts as if from a distance without attempting to modify them, and initiate a conversation. Like other newer mindfulness and acceptance-based models of CBT, ACT also expands the traditional focus on symptom reduction to include an emphasis on broader life goals. The scientific literature on ACT has expanded rapidly over the past ten years. Recent reviews conclude that it appears to be at least as effective as CT, and may work at least in part via distinct treatment mechanisms (Powers, Zum Vörde Sive Vörding, \& Emmelkamp, 2009).

Timeline

• Start date: 2010-01-01
• Primary completion: 2015-01-01
• Completion: 2015-12-01
• First posted: 2009-07-30
• Last updated: 2018-10-05
• Results posted: 2018-10-05

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States