This study evaluates the addition of a self-compassion training in the treatment of social anxiety disorder. Half of the participants will receive a self-compassion enhanced group cognitive-behavioral therapy, while the other half will receive standard group cognitive-behavioral therapy.
There is growing evidence showing that shame is associated with social anxiety. Also, empirical data shows that individuals with social anxiety have higher levels of shame compared with healthy individuals and that shame might play an important role in the maintenance of social anxiety symptoms. Although cognitive-behavioral therapy for social anxiety seems to reduce the level of shame-proneness, the magnitude of this reduction is a small one. The purpose of this study is to test whether adding a self-compassion component (which seems to be effective in reducing shame feelings) to a cognitive-behavioral protocol would increase the efficacy of the treatment in reducing both shame-proneness and social anxiety symptoms compared with a standard cognitive-behavioral intervention.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
60
12 group sessions of CBT for social anxiety based on Heimberg \& Becker's (2002) protocol with additional self-compassion exercises integrated into the treatment
12 group sessions of CBT for social anxiety based on Heimberg \& Becker's (2002) protocol
Babes-Bolyai University
Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania
Changes in social anxiety symptoms using (Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale; Leibowitz, 1987)
Self-reported measure of social anxiety symptoms
Time frame: (1) baseline; (2) weekly for 11 weeks starting with the second week of treatment (2) at the of end of treatment (12 weeks after the start of the treatment) ; (3) 6 months after the end of treatment
Changes in social anxiety symptoms using SPIN (Social Phobia Inventory; Connor et al., 2000)
Self-reported measure of social anxiety symptoms
Time frame: (1) baseline; (2) after 6 weeks from the start of the treatment; (2) at the of end of treatment (12 weeks after the start of the treatment); (3) 6 months after the end of treatment
Changes in social anxiety symptoms using SIAS (Social Interaction Anxiety Scale; Mattick & Clarke, 1998)
Self-reported measure of social anxiety symptoms
Time frame: (1) baseline; (2) after 6 weeks from the start of the treatment; (2) at the of end of treatment (12 weeks after the start of the treatment); (3) 6 months after the end of treatment
Changes in shame-proneness using TOSCA-3 (Test of Self-Conscious Affect-3; Tangney, Dearing, Wagner, & Gramzow, 2000)
Self-reported measure of predisposition to experience shame
Time frame: (1) baseline; (2) after 3, 6, 9 weeks from the start of the treatment; (2) at the of end of treatment (12 weeks after the start of the treatment); (3) 6 months after the end of the treatment
Changes in social anxiety disorder clinical status
DSM-5 semi-structured interview for social anxiety disorder
Time frame: at the end of the therapy
Changes in self-compassion using SCS (Self-Compassion Scale; Neff, 2003)
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Self-reported measure of self-compassion
Time frame: (1) baseline; (2) after 6 weeks from the start of the treatment; (2)at the of end of treatment (12 weeks after the start of the treatment); (3) 6 months after the end of treatment
Changes in self-compassion using SCSs (Self-Compassion Scale Short Form; Raes et al., 2011)
Self-reported measure of self-compassion
Time frame: (1) baseline; (2) weekly for 11 weeks starting with the second week of treatment (2) at the of end of treatment (12 weeks after the start of the treatment); (3) 6 months after the end of treatment
Changes in depressive symptoms using BDI-II (Beck Depression Inventory-II; Beck, 1996)
Self-reported measure of depressive symptoms
Time frame: (1) baseline; (2) after 6 weeks from the start of the treatment; (2) at the of end of treatment (12 weeks after the start of the treatment); (3) 6 months after the end of treatment
Changes in positive and negative affect using PANAS (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule; Watson & Clark, 1999)
Self-reported measure of positive and negative affect
Time frame: (1) baseline; (2) weekly for 11 weeks starting with the second week of treatment (2) at the of end of treatment (12 weeks after the start of the treatment); (3) 6 months after the end of treatment
Changes in positive and negative emotions using PDA (Profile of Affective Distress; Opriș & Macavei, 2005)
Self-reported measure of positive and negative emotions
Time frame: (1) baseline; (2) after 6 weeks from the start of the treatment; (2) at the of end of treatment (12 weeks after the start of the treatment); (3) 6 months after the end of treatment
Changes in irrational and rational thinking using ABS-II (Attitudes and Beliefs Scale- 2; DiGiuseppe, Leaf, Exner, & Robin, 1988)
Self-reported measure of rational and irrational beliefs
Time frame: (1) baseline; (2) after 6 weeks from the start of the treatment; (2) at the of end of treatment (12 weeks after the start of the treatment); (3) 6 months after the end of treatment
Changes in emotion regulation using ERQ (Emotion Regulation Questionnaire; Gross & John, 2003)
Self-reported measure of the use of suppression and reappraisal
Time frame: (1) baseline; (2) after 6 weeks from the start of the treatment; (2) at the of end of treatment (12 weeks after the start of the treatment); (3) 6 months after the end of treatment
Changes in emotion regulation using DERS (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale; Gratz & Roemer, 2004)
Self-reported measure on emotion regulation strategies
Time frame: (1) baseline; (2) after 6 weeks from the start of the treatment; (2) at the of end of treatment (12 weeks after the start of the treatment); (3) 6 months after the end of treatment
Changes in rational and irrational beliefs using GABS (General Attitudes and Beliefs Scale; Bernard, 1998)
Self-reported measure of rational and irrational beliefs
Time frame: (1) baseline; (2) after 6 weeks from the start of the treatment; (2) at the of end of treatment (12 weeks after the start of the treatment); (3) 6 months after the end of treatment
Changes in social phobia related thoughts using BFNE (Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale; Leary, 1983)
Self-reported measure of social phobia relevant negative thoughts
Time frame: (1) baseline; (2) weekly for 11 weeks starting with the second week of treatment (2) at the of end of treatment (12 weeks after the start of the treatment); (3) 6 months after the end of treatment
Changes in shame with PFQ-2 (Personal Feelings Questionnaire-2; Harder & Zalma, 1990)
Self-reported measure of shame
Time frame: (1) baseline; (2) weekly for 11 weeks starting with the second week of treatment (2) at the of end of treatment (12 weeks after the start of the treatment); (3) 6 months after the end of treatment