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Treating university students with social phobia and public speaking fears: internet delivered self‐help with or without live group exposure sessions
Author(s) -
Tillfors Maria,
Carlbring Per,
Furmark Tomas,
Lewenhaupt Susanne,
Spak Maria,
Eriksson Anna,
Westling Bengt E.,
Andersson Gerhard
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
depression and anxiety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.634
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1520-6394
pISSN - 1091-4269
DOI - 10.1002/da.20416
Subject(s) - psychology , social anxiety , anxiety , the internet , clinical psychology , test (biology) , test anxiety , cognitive behavioral therapy , psychiatry , paleontology , world wide web , computer science , biology
Abstract Background: This study investigated the efficacy of an Internet‐based self‐help program with minimal therapist contact via e‐mail for Swedish university students with social phobia and public speaking fears. The main objective was to test if the Internet‐based self‐help program would be more effective if five live group exposure sessions were added. Methods: Thirty‐eight students meeting the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th edition criteria for social phobia were randomized into two different treatment groups: Internet delivered cognitive behavior therapy combined with five group exposure sessions (ICBT+ exp) or the Internet program alone (ICBT). Results: Results were analyzed on an intention‐to‐treat basis. Both treatment groups showed significant improvement from pre‐ to post‐test, and from pre‐test to 1‐year follow‐up, on all measured dimensions (social anxiety, general anxiety, depression levels, and quality of life). For both the groups, the average within‐group effect sizes for the primary social anxiety scales, expressed as Cohen's d, were comparable to those seen in traditionally administered cognitive behavioral therapy both at post‐test and at 1‐ year follow‐up. Conclusions: The results suggest that the Internet‐based self‐help program on its own is efficient in the treatment of university students with social phobia. Adding group exposure sessions did not improve the outcome significantly. Depression and Anxiety 25:708–717, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.