This 5-year study addresses the unmet needs of adolescents with social phobia through the testing of a 12-week cognitive-behavioral, school-based group intervention delivered by trained school counselors compared to a nonspecific school counseling program. A secondary goal is to provide further examination of the efficacy of the CBT program delivered by school counselors as compared to the same program delivered by psychologists.
The investigators have tested SASS, a school-based group CBT intervention for social phobia, and found it to be effective when delivered by psychologists (Masia Warner et al., 2005; Masia Warner et al., 2007). The proposed dissemination study extends this work through a controlled trial of SASS delivered by school counselors. The investigators will randomize 126 adolescents with social anxiety disorder, ages 14 through 17, to one of 3 treatments: 1) SASS delivered by school counselors (SC-SASS), 2) SASS delivered by psychologists (Expert-SASS), or 3) a manualized adolescent group counseling program specifically designed for school counselors, called Skills for Living (SFL). A comprehensive evaluation will include diagnosis, illness severity, scale ratings of social anxiety and depression, clinical global improvement, overall functioning, and school-relevant indices of function. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, mid-point (after 6 weeks of intervention), post-treatment, and 6 months following intervention completion.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
126
12-week cognitive-behavioral, school-based group intervention
SFL is the Skills for Life Protocol delivered by school counselors.
New York University School of Medicine
New York, New York, United States
Change in Diagnostic severity of social anxiety disorder (ADIS CSR score)
ADIS CSR Ratings are taken at baseline, immediately following treatment, and at a 6-month followup.
Time frame: 2 week and 6-month follow-up
Change in Treatment response/non-response (a CGI-I of Improved or better, ratings of 1-3, 3 = Improved)
CGI-I assesses improvement from baseline immediately following treatment and at a 6-month followup assessment.
Time frame: 2 week and 6-month follow-up
Change in Diagnostic status: presence or absence of social anxiety disorder
Time frame: 2 week and 6-month follow-up
Change in Overall and school functioning: spare-time, peer relations, home life, school attendance, grades, and LSAS-CA school items total score
Time frame: 2 week and 6-month follow-up
Change in Adolescent and parent ratings of social anxiety scale scores (self and parent SPAI-C), and adolescent ratings of depression (BDI-II)
Time frame: 2 week and 6-month follow-up
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