Variations of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Social Anxiety Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Cognitive Therapy; Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 88
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19102
      • Drexel University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Clinically diagnosable social anxiety disorder (generalized subtype per DSM-IV-TR criteria)
• aged 18-65
• working fluency in English
• residence in the greater Philadelphia area.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pervasive developmental disability
• acute suicide potential
• inability to travel to the treatment site
• schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder
• current substance dependence
• Comorbid diagnoses of Major Depressive or other mood or anxiety disorders are acceptable ONLY if clearly secondary to the diagnosis of social anxiety disorder.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: cognitive therapy; cognitive therapy and exposure	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).; Other Names: CT
Active Comparator: acceptance and committment therapy; acceptance and commitment therapy and exposure	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).; Other Names: ACT

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) - Social Phobia Subscale	The SPAI social phobia assess symptoms of social anxiety in the presence of (a) strangers, (b) authority figures, (c) members of the opposite sex, and (d) people in general. The subscale ranges from 32 to 192, where higher scores reflect more severe symptoms of social anxiety.	baseline (pre-treatment; immediately prior to beginning treatment); post-treatment (12 weeks)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Outcomes Questionnaire	The Outcomes Questionnaire is a 45-item measure that assesses functioning and is comprised of three subscales: symptom distress, interpersonal relationships, and social role performance, that are combined to create a total score. Scores range from 45 to 180, where higher scores reflect greater levels of dysfunction.	baseline (pre-treatment; just before beginning treatment); post-treatment (12 weeks)
Behavioral Assessment Test	The assessment consists of two role-played interpersonal interactions and an impromptu speech. The role-plays were video recorded for subsequent rating by two independent assessors. Using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = poor and 5 = excellent), assessors rated global social skills, which were comprised of assessments of verbal content (e.g., amount of speech during task and degree to which speech was relevant and appropriate), nonverbal skills (e.g., degree of fidgeting and eye contact; appropriateness of gestures and posture), and paralinguistic skills (e.g., appropriateness of tone, enunciation, inflection, and rate). Prior research has employed this behavioral assessment protocol (Glassman et al., 2016; Herbert et al., 2005). These results reflect global social skills, which reflect the sum of ratings of verbal, nonverbal, and paralinguistic skills. Scores range from 3 to 15 with higher scores reflecting better social skills.	baseline (pre-treatment; just prior to beginning treatment); post-treatment (12 weeks)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Drexel University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: James D. Herbert, PhD, Drexel University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: January 1, 2010
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 29, 2009
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 29, 2009
• First Posted (Estimate): July 30, 2009

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 5, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 7, 2017
• Last Verified: December 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: treatment; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; social anxiety; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Cognitive Therapy
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Phobic Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; Phobia, Social
• Other Study ID Numbers: 18345