Intensive group cognitive treatment and individual cognitive therapy vs. treatment as usual in social phobia: a randomized controlled trial

• Published in: Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica Vol. 115; no. 2; pp. 142 - 154
• Main Authors: Mörtberg, E., Clark, D. M., Sundin, Ö., Åberg Wistedt, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-02-2007; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy; Biological and medical sciences; CBT; Clinical outcomes; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - epidemiology; Cognitive therapy; Cognitive Therapy - methods; Cognitive Therapy - statistics & numerical data; cognitive-behavioural therapy; Comparative studies; Demography; Depression - diagnosis; Depression - epidemiology; Depression - psychology; Disability Evaluation; Drug therapy; drug treatment; Fear & phobias; Female; Humans; Male; Mass Screening - methods; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Phobia; Phobic Disorders - epidemiology; Phobic Disorders - therapy; Psychiatry; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychotherapy, Group - statistics & numerical data; Psykologi; randomized controlled trials; SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP; Social Perception; Social Phobia; SOCIAL SCIENCES; Socialvetenskap; Surveys and Questionnaires; Treatment Outcome; Treatments; Cognitive therapy; cognitive-behavioural therapy; Group treatment; Social phobia; Anxiety disorder; Cognition; Behavior therapy; randomized controlled trials; drug treatment
• ISSN: 0001-690X; 1600-0447; 1600-0447
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2006.00839.x

Objective:  To compare the effects of an intensive group cognitive treatment (IGCT) to individual cognitive therapy (ICT) and treatment as usual (TAU) in social phobia (DSM‐IV).
Method:  Hundred patients were randomized to: IGCT involving 16 group sessions spread over three weeks; ICT involving 16 shorter weekly sessions in 4 months and; TAU involving an indicated selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) with therapy sessions as required for 1 year. The main outcome measure was a Social Phobia Composite that combined several standardized self‐report measures. Diagnostic assessment was repeated at 1‐year follow‐up.
Results:  Significant improvements were observed with all treatments. ICT was superior to IGCT and TAU, which did not differ in overall effectiveness.
Conclusion:  The study confirms and extends previously reported findings that ICT is more effective than group cognitive treatment and treatment with SSRIs. IGCT lasts only 3 weeks, and is as effective as more protracted TAU.