The use of psycho-education based on the CBT protocol using a single-session virtual exposure within the psychological support of students with a fear of public speaking: results of a pilot study

Anxiety and fear of public speaking are some of the common complaints of students duringtheir studies. The prevalence and consequences for psychological well-being make it possibleto discuss the fear of public speaking in the context of pathopsychological changes thatcontribute to or are a variant of a social anxiety disorder. At the same time, constantanxiety and emotional distress can contribute to the development of other comorbidpathologies such as depressive disorder, other anxiety disorders, or substance abuse as away of coping anxiety. The development and implementation of effectivepsychological/psychotherapeutic interventions for self-help and psychological support withusing a virtual environment has already proven itself in dealing with specific phobias andother anxiety states and can be applied in preventative measures for social anxiety disorderamong students. Aim Investigate the impact of psychoeducation based on CBT protocol with a one-sessionvirtual exposure on the level of students' social anxiety before public speaking and thefeatures of social interaction during education. Methods Social anxiety assessment using the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), and Social PhobiaRating Scale (SPRS), clinical semi-structured interview, observation, and assessment ofchanges in virtual exposure. Results Compared with the control group, there was a statistically significant decrease in allindicators on the SPIN (p<0.001) and SPRS (p<0.001) scales in the experimental group 1 monthafter virtual exposure. Decreases in social anxiety on the SPIN scale before theintervention and one month after were statistically different depending on belonging to theexperimental group (F = 5.06, p = 0.035) and time (F = 5.46, p = 0.029), and significantlyfrom a baseline level of social anxiety (F = 124.8, p = 0.000). The significance of changesin the experimental group as a whole on the SPIN scale is achieved by reducing the indicatorin the subgroup with a high level of social anxiety, where statistical significance issignificant p<0.001. Differences in changes in the level of social anxiety on the SPRS scalebefore the intervention and one month after, depending on belonging to the experimentalgroup (F = 9.39, p = 0.006), time (F = 12.33, p = 0.002) and baseline level of socialanxiety (F = 12.06, p = 0.000) are also significant. According to the SPRS method, astatistically significant decrease in the rate of exhaustion and overall restrictionimposing social anxiety (p<0.001) was found in the experimental group and a statisticallysignificant decrease in the using of part of strategies avoidance behaviors and theinfluence of typical unproductive beliefs (p<0.05, in accordance). Conclusion Using psychoeducation based on CBT protocol with a one-session virtual exposure hasproven to be an effective way of reducing the fear of public speaking. After 1 monthundergoing a psychoeducational session using virtual exposure, a significant decrease in theintensity of anxious feelings, the impact of unproductive beliefs, and changes in behaviorthat underpinned them were revealed. It was noted that the most significant effect wasachieved in the subgroup of participants with high input levels of social anxiety andmanifest traits corresponding to the criteria of social anxiety disorder. Such changes maybe explained by the need and timeliness of providing psychological support to this categoryof participants. Given that our findings are incomplete, they require further research andexpansion of the experimental base.