Cognitive-behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder

The efficacy of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) for treating social anxiet y disorder (SAD) has been demonstrated repeatedly in controlled clinical tr ials. The trajectory of outcome over followup periods suggests that during acute treatment, patients learn a method for approaching their social fears and avoidance, such that patients extend initial gains over time. This fin ding is consistent with the model of CBT of social phobia, where patients a re informed about the nature of maladaptive patterns characterizing SAD, ar e provided with tools for counteracting these patterns, and then rehearse t he process of change. This is accomplished with the use of psychoeducation, a working model of SAD, gaining a critical awareness of thoughts and belie fs, and with exposure exercises and behavioral experiments, This article re views the cognitive-behavioral model of SAD, the elements of treatment, and the outcome associated with these interventions.