Internet-delivered therapist-assisted cognitive therapy for adolescent social anxiety disorder (OSCA): a randomised controlled trial addressing preliminary efficacy and mechanisms of action.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Cognitive therapy for SAD (CT-SAD) is a first-line recommended treatment for adult social anxiety disorder (SAD) and shows considerable promise for youth. However, the high prevalence of adolescent SAD and limited number of therapists presents an implementation challenge. Delivery of CT-SAD via the Internet may offer part of the solution.

Method

Forty-three youth (14-18 years) with SAD recruited through schools were randomly allocated to therapist-assisted Internet-delivered CT-SAD (called OSCA) or waitlist for 14 weeks (ISRCTN15079139).

Results

OSCA outperformed waitlist on all measures and was associated with large effects that were maintained at 6-month follow-up. In the OSCA arm, 77% of adolescents lost their SAD diagnosis at post (vs. 14% in the waitli

SUBMITTER: Leigh E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10087225 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature