Social Anxiety Group Exposure Therapy for Adolescents: A pilot investigation

Social phobia affects a significant proportion of adolescents and is associated with a chronic course and negative consequences such as interpersonal difficulties, suicidal ideation, and alcohol use. Thus, the effective treatment of adolescent social phobia is imperative. Little research to date, however, has focused on treatment of this population. To help remedy this paucity, the present study examined the clinical utility of a new behavioral intervention, Social Anxiety Group Exposure Therapy for Adolescents (SAGE). Four adolescents participated in the first SAGE group. Participants completed comprehensive assessment batteries prior to beginning treatment, immediately following treatment completion, three months following treatment, and six months following treatment. At post-treatment and follow-up assessment, three of the four participants no longer met diagnostic criteria for social phobia, and changes in self-report measures of anxious symptomatology were consistent with changes in diagnostic status. Thus, findings indicate that SAGE may be a potentially efficacious treatment for adolescents with social phobia