The current study examines therapeutic processes during internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder. Participants will be randomized to either treatment or wait-list conditions. Participants in the wait-list condition will receive active treatment following the wait-list period.
Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (iCBT) is an effective treatment for social anxiety disorder (SAD). However, little is known about the processes and mechanisms of change in this treatment. Compared to face to face (FTF) treatments, online interventions may operate through partially different mechanisms of change due to the text-based nature of the interaction and the reduced level of therapist involvement. The present randomized controlled trial will examine therapeutic processes during iCBT for SAD including the presence of sudden gains and their relationship to outcome, the relationship between anxiety and depressive symptoms along the course of treatment, changes in the therapeutic alliance and attrition from therapy. Moreover, we will compare iCBT for SAD with a wait-list control group and utilize weekly measurements of anxiety, depression, and SAD-related cognitions in both groups. This will facilitate comparison between temporal processes in both conditions and also shed light on processes occurring in wait-list conditions.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
120
An internet-based CBT for social anxiety based on a protocol from Andersson et al., 2006: "Internet-based self-help with therapist feedback and in vivo group exposure for social phobia: a randomized controlled trial."
University of Haifa
Haifa, Israel
Social anxiety severity
Post treatment Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS). Score ranges from 0 to 144 where higher score indicates more sever social anxiety
Time frame: Change from Baseline LSAS at post treatment (12 weeks)
Diagnosis of SAD based on clinical interview
Diagnoses derived from the Anxiety and Related Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-5 (ADIS)
Time frame: Change from Baseline ADIS diagnosis at post treatment (12 weeks)
Social anxiety severity
Follow-up Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS). Score ranges from 0 to 144 where higher score indicates more sever social anxiety
Time frame: Change from Baseline LSAS at 6 months follow-up
Social anxiety severity - additional measure
Post treatment Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN). Score ranges from 0 to 68 where higher score indicates more sever social anxiety
Time frame: Change from Baseline SPIN at post treatment (12 weeks)
Social anxiety severity - additional measure
Post treatment Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN). Score ranges from 0 to 68 where higher score indicates more sever social anxiety
Time frame: Change from Baseline SPIN at 6 months follow-up
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