None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The efficacy of treatment for social phobia at the Anxiety Disorders Clinic is proven with benefits in the short and long term exceeding 1 standard deviation (SD) (McEvoy, 2007). Therapy over the internet has also been shown to be efficacious, again with benefits in the short and long term exceeding 1 SD (Titov et al, 2009). Whilst on this basis the two modes of therapy appear comparable in efficacy we cannot know whether people applying for internet therapy are particularly suited to that mode of treatment and whether people applying for face to face therapy are suited to that mode of therapy. Internet therapy has service delivery advantages in terms of substantial reductions in therapist time and reductions in patient costs in terms of transport to the clinic which averages $30 per visit, and in terms of loss of wages or cost of carers while away from home.
Interventions
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: 1) Internet based treatment for social phobia or; 2) Face-to-face based treatment for social phobia.
All participants will meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for social phobia. All participants will complete evidence-based materials about cognitive behavioural techniques for managing symptoms of social phobia. The Internet group will complete 6 online lessons over 8 weeks. One lesso
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: 1) Internet based treatment for social phobia or; 2) Face-to-face based treatment for social phobia. All participants will meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for social phobia. All participants will complete evidence-based materials about cognitive behavioural techniques for managing symptoms of social phobia. The Internet group will complete 6 online lessons over 8 weeks. One lesson will be completed every 7 to 10 days. Each lesson will take about 15 minutes to complete. Participants will also have access to summaries of each lesson, and will read anonymous stories about other people with social phobia, taking a further 20 minutes per summary. Participants receiving face-to-face treatment will complete 7 lessons of face to face manualised and evidence-based treatment for symptoms of social phobia, over a 7 week period, with one lesson per week. Each lesson will take 3 hours, and participants will be treated in a group format with 6 - 8 participants. Each group will be led by a psychologist or psychiatrist. Participants will be contacted 3 months post program and asked to complete follow-up questionnaires. Study questionnaires will be administered at immediately pre-treatment, one-week post-treatment, and at 3-months post-treatment. These will take about 20 minutes to complete.
Sponsors
St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney
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
Meet DSM-IV criteria for social phobia - Internet access + printer access. - Australian citizen- Males and females.
Exclusion criteria
Current substance abuse/dependence- Psychotic disorder- Current or planned psychological treatment during study duration- Change in medications during last 1 month or intended change during study duration.
Outcome results
None listed