Outcomes from a brief group behavior therapy approach for social anxiety disorder in adolescence: An exploratory clinical trial

Abstract

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) usually develops in adolescence and is maintained by avoidance and safety seeking behaviors, which are the focus of behavioral therapy (BT). This work explored the outcomes of a brief group BT for SAD in adolescence, combining exposure with skills training. Fourteen adolescents (aged 14-18 years old) diagnosed with SAD received the intervention. BT was compared to a waiting list condition (n = 10) from pre- to post-intervention; how change in avoidance and safety behaviors predicted post-intervention social anxiety was also tested. Significant improvement was limited to anxiety and avoidance when interacting in new social situations, which may be due to skills training having been focused on general interaction. Only change in avoidance predicted post-intervention social anxiety. Though exploratory, current findings suggest BT to be a relevant approach to SAD. As such, it may inform future more robust studies on interventions tailored to specific core social fears.