Social Anxiety Disorder
Conditions
Brief summary
This study involves completing some online assessments and an intervention for social anxiety that all involve interactions with other people on a teleconferencing call.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALExperimental: Attention Guidance + Exposure
1. Participants will receive a brief standardized psychoeducation module, presented via a video recording. 2. Participants will then complete up to 10 analogue teleconferencing calls, each lasting a maximum of two minutes. 3. Between speeches participants will have a 1-minute break. 4. Participants will complete the subjective units of distress scale (SUDS) before and after each speech trial. The experimental attention guidance condition: (1) the intervention rationale will include information about the importance of visually attending to the faces of the audience; (2) participants will be given target audience members to focus their gaze on during the their impromptu response. They will be told that they should look at and focus on the target audience member for the whole response.
BEHAVIORALActive Comparator: Exposure Alone
1. Participants will receive a brief standardized psychoeducation module, presented via a video recording. 2. Participants will then complete up to 10 analogue teleconferencing calls, each lasting a maximum of two minutes. 3. Between speeches participants will have a 1-minute break. 4. Participants will complete the subjective units of distress scale (SUDS) before and after each speech trial.
BEHAVIORALExperimental: Attention Control + Exposure
1. Participants will receive a brief standardized psychoeducation module, presented via a video recording. F 2. Participants will then complete up to 10 analogue teleconferencing calls, each lasting a maximum of two minutes. During each call participants will be prompted by one of the audience members. 3. Between speeches participants will have a 1-minute break. 4. Participants will complete the subjective units of distress scale (SUDS) before and after each speech trial. The experimental attention control condition: (1) the intervention rationale will include information about the importance of attention control; (2) participants will be given target at the center of the screen to focus their gaze on during the their impromptu response. They will be told that they should look at and focus on the target for the whole response.
Sponsors
University of Texas at Austin
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Age 18-75 * Fluent in English because the data collection materials have not yet been standardized in other languages * Having access to a computer with a webcam and ability to record audio * Personal Report of Communication Apprehension \> 80 * Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale \> 30 * Meets DSM-5 Criteria for Social Anxiety Disorder
Exclusion criteria
* Significant visual impairment precluding the use of the eye tracking equipment * Current, or history of bipolar disorder; current, or history of psychosis
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Report of Communication Apprehension Questionnaire | prior to the first treatment session, an average of 2 days | Assessment of communication concerns, range of scores is 24-120; higher scores are worse |
| Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale Questionnaire | prior to the first treatment session, an average of 2 days | Assessment of general social anxiety, range of scores is 0-144; higher scores are worse |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Attention Guidance + Exposure Participants will complete teleconferencing-based exposure trials with an attention guidance component.
Experimental: Attention Guidance + Exposure: 1) Participants will receive a brief standardized psychoeducation module, presented via a video recording.
2\) Participants will then complete up to 10 analogue teleconferencing calls, each lasting a maximum of two minutes.
3\) Between speeches participants will have a 1-minute break. 4) Participants will complete the subjective units of distress scale (SUDS) before and after each speech trial.
The experimental attention guidance condition: (1) the intervention rationale will include information about the importance of visually attending to the faces of the audience; (2) participants will be given target audience members to focus their gaze on during the their impromptu response. They will be told that they should look at and focus on the target audience member for the whole response. | 13 |
| Exposure Alone Participants will complete teleconferencing-based exposure trials.
Active Comparator: Exposure Alone: 1) Participants will receive a brief standardized psychoeducation module, presented via a video recording.
2\) Participants will then complete up to 10 analogue teleconferencing calls, each lasting a maximum of two minutes.
3\) Between speeches participants will have a 1-minute break. 4) Participants will complete the subjective units of distress scale (SUDS) before and after each speech trial. | 18 |
| Attention Control + Exposure Participants will complete teleconferencing-based exposure trials with an attention control component.
Experimental: Attention Control + Exposure: 1) Participants will receive a brief standardized psychoeducation module, presented via a video recording.
F 2) Participants will then complete up to 10 analogue teleconferencing calls, each lasting a maximum of two minutes. During each call participants will be prompted by one of the audience members.
3\) Between speeches participants will have a 1-minute break. 4) Participants will complete the subjective units of distress scale (SUDS) before and after each speech trial.
The experimental attention control condition: (1) the intervention rationale will include information about the importance of attention control; (2) participants will be given target at the center of the screen to focus their gaze on during the their impromptu response. They will be told that they should look at and focus on the target for the whole response. | 22 |
| Total | 53 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Total | Attention Guidance + Exposure | Exposure Alone | Attention Control + Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Continuous | 19.13 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.44 | 19.20 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.52 | 18.70 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.02 | 19.5 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.77 |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Hispanic or Latino | 20 Participants | 5 Participants | 8 Participants | 7 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Not Hispanic or Latino | 33 Participants | 8 Participants | 10 Participants | 15 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Asian | 11 Participants | 3 Participants | 2 Participants | 6 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American | 2 Participants | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race | 13 Participants | 4 Participants | 6 Participants | 3 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 7 Participants | 0 Participants | 3 Participants | 4 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) White | 20 Participants | 6 Participants | 6 Participants | 8 Participants |
| Region of Enrollment United States | 53 participants | 13 participants | 18 participants | 22 participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 46 Participants | 13 Participants | 17 Participants | 16 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 7 Participants | 0 Participants | 1 Participants | 6 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk | EG002 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 18 | 0 / 22 | 0 / 13 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 18 | 0 / 22 | 0 / 13 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 18 | 0 / 22 | 0 / 13 |
Outcome results
Primary
Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale Questionnaire
Assessment of general social anxiety, range of scores is 0-144; higher scores are worse
Time frame: prior to the first treatment session, an average of 2 days
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exposure Alone | Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale Questionnaire | 81.06 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 13.4 |
| Attention Control + Exposure | Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale Questionnaire | 74.50 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 13.94 |
| Attention Guidance + Exposure | Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale Questionnaire | 87.77 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 19.93 |
Primary
Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale Questionnaire
Assessment of general social anxiety, range of scores is 0-144; higher scores are worse
Time frame: 1-week follow-up
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exposure Alone | Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale Questionnaire | 77.99 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 23.6 |
| Attention Control + Exposure | Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale Questionnaire | 57.70 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 19.24 |
| Attention Guidance + Exposure | Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale Questionnaire | 71.00 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 26 |
Primary
Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale Questionnaire
Assessment of general social anxiety, range of scores is 0-144; higher scores are worse
Time frame: 2-week follow-up
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exposure Alone | Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale Questionnaire | 81.67 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 23.52 |
| Attention Control + Exposure | Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale Questionnaire | 50.13 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 15.72 |
| Attention Guidance + Exposure | Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale Questionnaire | 71.00 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 30.91 |
Primary
Personal Report of Communication Apprehension Questionnaire
Assessment of communication concerns, range of scores is 24-120; higher scores are worse
Time frame: prior to the first treatment session, an average of 2 days
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exposure Alone | Personal Report of Communication Apprehension Questionnaire | 88.06 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 11.66 |
| Attention Control + Exposure | Personal Report of Communication Apprehension Questionnaire | 87.64 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 11.91 |
| Attention Guidance + Exposure | Personal Report of Communication Apprehension Questionnaire | 95.69 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 14.35 |
Primary
Personal Report of Communication Apprehension Questionnaire
Assessment of communication concerns, range of scores is 24-120; higher scores are worse
Time frame: 1-week follow-up
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exposure Alone | Personal Report of Communication Apprehension Questionnaire | 70.71 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 7.01 |
| Attention Control + Exposure | Personal Report of Communication Apprehension Questionnaire | 65.90 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 5.36 |
| Attention Guidance + Exposure | Personal Report of Communication Apprehension Questionnaire | 70.00 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.1 |
Primary
Personal Report of Communication Apprehension Questionnaire
Assessment of communication concerns, range of scores is 24-120; higher scores are worse
Time frame: 2-week follow-up
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exposure Alone | Personal Report of Communication Apprehension Questionnaire | 70.25 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 6.25 |
| Attention Control + Exposure | Personal Report of Communication Apprehension Questionnaire | 67.13 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 3.23 |
| Attention Guidance + Exposure | Personal Report of Communication Apprehension Questionnaire | 71.00 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.67 |