Fanny Kählke1, Thomas Berger2, Ava Schulz3, Harald Baumeister4, Matthias Berking1, Randy P Auerbach5,6, Ronny Bruffaerts7, Pim Cuijpers8, Ronald C Kessler9, David Daniel Ebert1. 1. Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany. 2. Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. 3. Department of Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy, University of Zürich, Psychiatric University Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland. 4. Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. 5. Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York City, New York, USA. 6. Division of Clinical Developmental Neuroscience, Sackler Institute, New York City, New York, USA. 7. Research Group Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium. 8. Department of Clinical, Neuro, and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 9. Department for Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:Internet- and mobile-based interventions (IMIs) offer the opportunity to deliver mental health treatments on a large scale. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of an unguided IMI (StudiCare SAD) for university students with social anxiety disorder (SAD). METHODS:University students (N = 200) diagnosed with SAD were randomly assigned to an IMI or a waitlist control group (WLC) with full access to treatment as usual. StudiCare SAD consists of nine sessions. The primary outcome was SAD symptoms at posttreatment (10 weeks), assessed via the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS). Secondary outcomes included depression, quality of life, fear of positive evaluation, general psychopathology, and interpersonal problems. RESULTS: Results indicated moderate to large effect sizes in favor of StudiCare SAD compared with WLC for SAD at posttest for the primary outcomes (SPS: d = 0.76; SIAS: d = 0.55, p < 0.001). Effects on all secondary outcomes were significant and in favor of the intervention group. CONCLUSION:StudiCare SAD has proven effective in reducing SAD symptoms in university students. Providing IMIs may be a promising way to reach university students with SAD at an early stage with an effective treatment.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVES: Internet- and mobile-based interventions (IMIs) offer the opportunity to deliver mental health treatments on a large scale. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of an unguided IMI (StudiCare SAD) for university students with social anxiety disorder (SAD). METHODS: University students (N = 200) diagnosed with SAD were randomly assigned to an IMI or a waitlist control group (WLC) with full access to treatment as usual. StudiCare SAD consists of nine sessions. The primary outcome was SAD symptoms at posttreatment (10 weeks), assessed via the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS). Secondary outcomes included depression, quality of life, fear of positive evaluation, general psychopathology, and interpersonal problems. RESULTS: Results indicated moderate to large effect sizes in favor of StudiCare SAD compared with WLC for SAD at posttest for the primary outcomes (SPS: d = 0.76; SIAS: d = 0.55, p < 0.001). Effects on all secondary outcomes were significant and in favor of the intervention group. CONCLUSION: StudiCare SAD has proven effective in reducing SAD symptoms in university students. Providing IMIs may be a promising way to reach university students with SAD at an early stage with an effective treatment.
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