SOCIAL PHOBIA - A COMPARISON OF BEHAVIOR-THERAPY AND ATENOLOL

Seventy-two social phobics were Tandomly assigned to behavioral (flood ing) or drug treatment with atenolol or placebo. Treatment was adminis tered over a 3-month period of time, and duration of treatment effects was determined at a 6-month follow-up assessment. Multiple measures o f outcome were used, including self-report, clinician ratings (includi ng assessment by independent evaluators), behavioral assessment, and p erformance on composite indexes. The results indicated that flooding c onsistently was superior to placebo, whereas atenolol was not. Floodin g also was superior to atenolol on behavioral measures and composite i ndexes. Those subjects who improved during treatment maintained gains at the 6-month follow-up regardless of whether they received flooding or atenolol. The variability of outcome on different measures in socia l phobia research is discussed, and the need for broad-based treatment strategies to address the pervasive deficits associated with social p hobia is noted.