School-based Treatment of Social Anxiety With Developmentally Oriented Cognitive Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder

Launched by KLAUS RANTA · Jun 28, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a new type of therapy called Developmentally Oriented Cognitive Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder (DOCT-SAD) to see if it works better than standard counseling for teenagers aged 12 to 17 who have Social Anxiety Disorder. The goal is to help these young people manage their anxiety and improve their overall well-being. The trial will compare the effectiveness of DOCT-SAD, which is delivered by specially trained school psychologists, with standard counseling provided by school staff who are not specifically trained in this method.

To participate in the study, teenagers must be between 13 and 17 years old, have a diagnosis of Social Anxiety Disorder, and be motivated to attend the therapy sessions. They will receive treatment for 10 weeks and will have follow-up assessments at six and twelve months to see how well they are doing. It's important to note that certain conditions, like severe depression or other mental health issues that need immediate attention, may prevent someone from participating in this trial. Overall, this study aims to find out the best way to help young people cope with social anxiety and improve their quality of life.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion criteria:
• • age 13-17 years
• • diagnosis of DSM-5 SAD (Social Anxiety Disorder)
• • SAD is the primary mental health disorder
• • motivation of the adolescent and parent to attend DOCT-SAD / SC as described in the study protocol
• • good command of the Finnish language.
• Exclusion criteria:
• • intellectual deficit
• • presence of primary autism spectrum disorder
• • marked psychotic symptoms or psyhotic disorder
• • severe eating disorder, depression or primary other anxiety disorder requiring acute treatment which need to be prioritized above treatment of social anxiety
• • acute suicidality or suicide risk
• • substance use or substance use disorder requiring child protection measures
• • presence of contextual/environmental risk factors in the participants surroundings which require child protection measures