The effect of different cognitive behavioral therapies for social anxiety on memory, attention and skin conductance response

• Grant number: 13/19981-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: August 01, 2014 - January 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Psychological Treatment and Prevention
• Principal Investigator: Carmem Beatriz Neufeld
• Grantee: Carmem Beatriz Neufeld
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Anxiety is an adaptive response, becoming pathological when it is disproportional to the situation that triggers it. Anxiety disorders are among the most common psychopathology in the general population, and social anxiety disorder (SAD) is the most frequent one. Individuals diagnosed with SAD exhibit attentional bias in their cognitive process, becoming more likely to interpret social stimuli in a threatening manner. In addition, high levels of social desirability, which is common in individuals with SAD, are also recognized as predictive for the occurrence of a higher number of false memories. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) aims to identify and to modify dysfunctional beliefs, which results in the relief of symptoms and in the improvement of the quality of life. Studies shows that CBT reduces social anxiety and can to lead to changes in attentional bias and to promove emotion regulation. The general aim of this study is to investigate and to compare the effect of two interventions to SAD on attentional bias, performance of memory and social anxiety symptoms. 80 participants will be selected: 60 with SAD and 20 without SAD. The SAD participants will be randomized among the following groups: 20 participants who will receive 16 sessions of intervention in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in group, 20 participants who will receive 16 sessions of Trial-Based Therapy and 20 participants who will not to receive intervention (wait list condition). The participants without SAD will to form the fourth group. All groups will also participate in assessing meetings when they will be submitted to tests regarding their psychological symptoms, attentional bias and memory performance in a pre and post-test. The participants from wait list condition will receive treatment in the end of study and will be randomized between the two treatments. Parametric or non-parametric statistical analyzes will be performed, depending on the results of the sample's normality tests. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

NEUFELD, CARMEM BEATRIZ; PALMA, PRISCILA C.; CAETANO, KATIA A. S.; BRUST-RENCK, PRISCILA G.; CURTISS, JOSHUA; HOFMANN, STEFAN G.. A randomized clinical trial of group and individual Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy approaches for Social Anxiety Disorder. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY, v. 20, n. 1, p. 29-37, JAN-APR 2020. (13/19273-7, 13/19981-1, 13/19263-1)