Social anxiety therapies had uncertain symptom differences, but later emotion skills differed
Behavioral experiments did not significantly outperform verbally focused therapy on post-treatment social anxiety. A later advantage concerned emotion-regulation skills, a separate secondary outcome.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
For patients with social anxiety disorder, behavioral experiments showed no statistically significant advantage over verbally focused cognitive therapy on social anxiety or other outcomes immediately after treatment. Symptom estimates suggested a possible advantage, but remained uncertain. Later clinician ratings favored behavioral experiments for emotion-regulation skills, a secondary outcome distinct from social anxiety severity.
This abstract-based summary lacks treatment length and confidence intervals for between-group effects. The later emotion-regulation result cannot establish a corresponding advantage in social anxiety symptoms or everyday functioning.
What researchers found
Clinician-rated skills for managing emotions related to social anxiety
At 6 months versus verbally focused cognitive therapy: d = 1.19, a group difference expressed in standard-deviation units rather than raw rating points; p < .001. This was a secondary outcome.
Comparing therapy components
Behavioral experiments and verbal interventions were approaches to changing negative beliefs related to social anxiety. The trial compared their contributions within cognitive therapy, addressing differences between therapy components rather than therapy versus receiving no treatment.
Keeping outcomes separate
Social anxiety severity was the primary outcome; emotion-regulation skills were assessed separately. Their later difference does not resolve the uncertain post-treatment symptom comparison. Improvements within a therapy group also do not establish superiority over the other group.
The original publication
Behavioral experiments vs. verbal interventions in cognitive therapy for social anxiety disorder: A randomized controlled trial.
Yilmaz C, Nemani A, Schittenhelm J et al.
Behav Res Ther · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40753820
- Record checked
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