False Safety Behavior Elimination Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder in Japanese: A Pilot, Single-arm Uncontrolled Study
Year: 2020
Type: preprint
Abstract: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is an excessive fear of social situations that can lead to serious functional impairment; it negatively affects a person’s self-esteem and social interactions. Its prevalence has increased over the past four decades, and SAD is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in Japan. Therefore, more precise interventions are needed. This study administered false safety behavior elimination therapy (F-SET), which eliminates safety behavior (i.e., strategies that reduce anxiety), to six Japanese patients with SAD. This is the first adaptation of F-SET into Japanese. Seven patients were screened, 6 (mean age of 27.83, only males) were eligible for the study criteria. All patients received five weekly 60-minute F-SET sessions. At post-F-SET, the mean reduction in Liebowiz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) scores from baseline was -20.50 (95%CI: -30.65, -10.35, p = .003). After completing the treatment, all participants showed substantially decreased SAD symptoms, which indicates preliminary support for the adapted treatment’s efficacy.
Source: Research Square
Authors: Honami Arai, Sho Okawa, Yoichi Seki, Eiji Shimizu, Sho Takahashi, Kristina Jo Korte, Norman Brad Schmidt
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3116861180