Waitlist-Control Trial of Smartphone (App-based) CBT for Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), Withdrawn

June 29, 2026 updated by: Sabine Wilhelm, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital

Smartphone Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized, Waitlist-control Trial

The investigators are testing the efficacy of Smartphone-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment for social anxiety disorder (SAD). The investigators hypothesize that participants receiving app-CBT will have greater reduction in LSAS scores than those in the waitlist condition at treatment endpoint (week 12).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Withdrawn

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The primary aims of this study are to test the efficacy of a Smartphone-based CBT treatment for adults with SAD recruited nationally. Eligible subjects (N=80) will be randomly assigned to 12 weeks of Smartphone-delivered CBT for SAD either immediately, or after a 12-week long waiting period (50-50 chance). The investigators hypothesize that Smartphone-delivered CBT for SAD will be feasible and acceptable to individuals with SAD, and that it will lead to greater reductions in SAD symptom severity compared to the passage of time (waitlist control).

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
        • Massachusetts General Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • At least 18 years of age
  • Current diagnosis of primary DSM-5 SAD, based on MINI
  • Currently living in the United States

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Psychotropic medication changes within 2 months prior to enrollment i. Participants taking psychotropic medication must have been on a stable dose for at least 2 months prior to enrollment and not change medication during study period
  • Past participation in ≥ 4 sessions of CBT for SAD
  • Current severe substance use disorder
  • Lifetime bipolar disorder or psychosis
  • Current severe comorbid major depression, as indicated by clinical judgment and/or a QIDS-SR total score ≥ 21 ***EDIT***
  • Acute, active suicidal ideation as indicated by clinical judgment and/or a score ≥ 2 on the suicidal ideation subscale of the C-SSRS
  • Concurrent psychological treatment
  • Does not own a supported mobile Smartphone with a data plan
  • Lack of technology literacy that would interfere with ability to engage with smartphone treatment

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Experimental: Smartphone-delivered CBT for SAD
12-week Smartphone delivered CBT for SAD.
Device: Smartphone-delivered CBT for SAD
12-week Smartphone-delivered CBT for SAD. In-person cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an empirically supported treatment for SAD. The app-delivered CBT in this project includes modules such as cognitive skills (e.g., cognitive restructuring, core belief work), behavioral skills (e.g., exposure with ritual prevention), and perceptual retraining/mindfulness skills.
Other: 12 Week Waitlist Control
12-week waitlist control. (Note: participants will be crossed over to 12-week Smartphone-delivered CBT for SAD following the 12-week waitlist control).
Device: Smartphone-delivered CBT for SAD
12-week Smartphone-delivered CBT for SAD. In-person cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an empirically supported treatment for SAD. The app-delivered CBT in this project includes modules such as cognitive skills (e.g., cognitive restructuring, core belief work), behavioral skills (e.g., exposure with ritual prevention), and perceptual retraining/mindfulness skills.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Difference in SAD severity (LSAS) at the end of treatment/waitlist period.
Time Frame: Endpoint (week 12)
The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) is a clinician-administered measure of social anxiety symptom severity. It contains 24 social situations likely to elicit social anxiety, and items are scored on a Likert scale ranging from 0 to 3. Higher scores indicate more severe SAD symptoms. The LSAS will be used to assess change in social anxiety symptoms from baseline to endpoint.
Endpoint (week 12)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Difference in depression severity as assessed by change in The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale - Revised (CESD-R) total scores from baseline to week 12.
Time Frame: Endpoint (week 12)
Participants who receive app-CBT will have a difference in depression severity as assessed by change in The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale - Revised (CESD-R) total scores from baseline to week 12. The CESD-R is a self-report measure of depressive symptoms consisting of 20 scale items with responses ranging from 0 to 4, including two questions about suicidal ideation (item #14, #15). Higher scores correspond with greater depression severity, and the measure is a well-validated, sensitive measure of symptom severity in depression.
Endpoint (week 12)
Difference in functional impairment as measured by change in The Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS) total scores from baseline to week 12.
Time Frame: Endpoint (week 12)
Participants who receive app-CBT will have a difference in functional impairment as measured by change in The Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS) total scores from baseline to week 12. The WSAS uses a Likert scale from 0 (not at all impaired) to 8 (very severely impaired) to assess impairment in occupational, social, and family/friends domains. Higher scores indicate greater impairment.
Endpoint (week 12)
Difference in quality of life as assessed by change in The Quality of Life, Enjoyment, and Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form (QLESQ-SR) total scores from baseline to week 12.
Time Frame: Endpoint (week 12)
Participants who receive app-CBT will have a difference in quality of life as assessed by change in The Quality of Life, Enjoyment, and Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form (QLESQ-SR) total scores from baseline to week 12. The Q-LES-Q-SF is a self-report measure of subjective quality of life, containing Likert items ranging from 1 (Very Poor) to 5 (Very Good). Total scores are presented as a percentage of the maximum value (i.e., ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater quality of life).
Endpoint (week 12)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Massachusetts General Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Koa Health B.V.

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Sabine Wilhelm, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2023

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 1, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 13, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 9, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 10, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 29, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2018P001671

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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