Treating socially phobic youth with CBT: Differential outcomes and treatment considerations

Social phobia (SP) is characterized by a fear of one or more social or performance situations. Studies of comorbidity in SP youth find anxiety and affective disorders co-occurring. The present study examined children with primary SP and compared them to children with primary Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD) or Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) prior to treatment and in response to treatment. The groups differed significantly on self-, parent- and teacher-rated pretreatment measures. Additionally, the two groups showed differential treatment outcomes. When the SP youth with comorbid Affective Disorder were excluded in treatment outcome analyses, there were non significant differences, indicating that comorbid affective disorders likely contributed to differential treatment outcome. Results are discussed in terms of treatment recommendations for socially phobic youth.