Results at long-term among three psychological treatments for adolescents with generalized social phobia (I): statistical significance

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of several psychological treatments for social phobia during adolescence. The sample consisted of 59 adolescents who met the criteria for DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) generalized social phobia. Subjects were assigned to one of three experimental treatments (N= 44) or a control condition (N= 15), and treatment was provided in school settings. Assessments were conducted at pretest, posttest and after a 1-year follow-up. Between-group and within-group analyses were conducted. Overall, short-term and long-term results show that the active treatments were superior to the control for treating adolescents with generalized social phobia. Specifically, experimental treatments resulted in a significant improvement of self-esteem and social skills as well as a reduction of the symptoms of social anxiety and interference with family, social, and academic life. Issues that may contribute to future research are also discussed.