None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This study tests whether Oxytocin improves the effectiveness of exposure therapy for decreasing social anxiety symptoms. We predict that individuals from the community diagnosed with social phobia who receive four exposure therapy sessions in combination with Oxytocin will experience a greater reduction in social anxiety symptoms in comparison to individuals who received the placebo in combination with four exposure therapy sessions. Participants receive, in total, five weekly group therapy sessions, the first is educational and the next four consist of public speaking exposure therapy. One month post intervention participants are assessed for social anxiety symptoms as well as other general health indicators. All subjects, therapists, assessors, and data entry staff are blind to condition.
Interventions
Participants with social phobia are given group exposure based therapy over 5 weekly treatment sessions in combination with a Nasal Spray dose of Oxytocin (OT; 24 IU). Exposure therapy consists of 3 to 10 minute speech tasks in front of a group where a decrease in anxiety within this situation is observed.
Sponsors
University of New South Wales
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
University students over the age of 18.
Exclusion criteria
Under 18, pregnancy, epilepsy, substance abuse/ dependence, psychotic symptoms, suicidal thoughts. Participants are also instructed not to drink alcohol, caffeine or take any illegal drugs on the day of Oxytocin (OT) administration, and to abstain from fluids and food, except water, two hours before OT administration.
Outcome results
None listed