Social anxiety disorder (SAD) which is frequently termed as social phobia can be described as a mental syndrome that is usually characterized by an intense anxiety of undesirable evaluation from other people in regard to social situations. If not well checked, the disorder can result in a chronic course that is unremitting and thus resulting in impairment of the affected persons. Studies published indicate that SAD is one of the prevalent conditions that has been estimated to affect between 4%-10% of adults in the US. The disorder usually starts in childhood or even during the adolescent stage and if no attention is paid in terms of treatment, it can lead to health problems. In most cases, it can be associated with functional impairment. The aim of this paper is to evaluate two articles which have been conducted on this topic and how it will help in the preparation of my final paper.
Alden, L. E., Buhr, K., Robichaud, M., Trew, J. L., " Plasencia, M. L. (2018). Treatment of social approach processes in adults with social anxiety disorder. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 86(6), 505.
The aim of this article was to investigate the various impact or effects of the impact of treatment on positive relational functioning in regard to social anxiety disorder (SAD). As a result, the main objective that the authors had was to essentially conduct a study that could be used to evaluate behavior therapy (CBT) in relation to the intervention offered by (CBT-R) when exposed to applied relations commonly known as (GEAR) and the wait list. All work used was recently published, up to date, and well linked and cited.
Why the did
Since treatment usually commences with the targeting of social anxiety as well as avoidance through the use of strategies such as graduated exposure, the challenging of negative behavior and even reduction of subtle behavior for safety purposes, little study had been conducted on this topic. As a result, the researchers opted to advance the study to fill in the existing gap by examining the effects of treatment on relational functioning. By performing the study, the authors wanted to enhance and examine the effects that social impairment had on SAD which was lacking in the literature bank. Therefore, the main reasons way to offer an alternative approach which suggests that social avoidance is partially independent of social behavior and therefore the need to prove that adaptive relational functioning is contingent upon social approach systems, especially when its considered to be an alternative to SAD.
How they did
The study was spread over a period of 12 months. By using data which spread over a long a long period of time ensured that consistency in the management and performance of mutual time overtime was taken into account as this was essential in establishing the changes that have occurred over time and thus not limiting the study on current figure within a short period of time which could result in biases. A sample of 100 respondent was used denoting 50% for men and 50% for women. The large sample was adequate as a larger forms true representation of the entire population. By using GLIMPSE 2.0.0 formula, the researchers obtained 80 participants as a sample size.
The study used CBT-R AND GEAR to identify adults who were seeking treatment and who met the required standards as defined by SAD diagnostic system. The participants were grouped into 14 groups which received treatment in sessions. Consequently, after assessing and recruiting the respondents through verifiable techniques, Social initiation, rapport satisfaction, and even SAD symptoms composite were all assessed and a follow-up stage between 6-12 months. To effectively measure different symptoms and their potential effects, the study used the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (S-SIAS). All the items were later related on five Linkert scales for easier comprehension and the analysis of the link between them. The variables were analyzed using ANCOVA and chi-square methods.
What they found
By using CBT-R to assess the value and direction of the result obtained through GEAR, the study established that the relationship satisfaction had a directs link with SAD symptoms, especially when mediated with behaviors and superior performance of the variable in reducing social problems. All variables were measured at 0.09 level significance and thus indicating that CBT techniques or regimes can positively help in improving social processes among individuals with SAD. In addition, the study concluded that safety behavior contributes to positive treatment in patients with SAD.
The findings from this article are important in addressing my questions as it will help me in evaluating the effectiveness of alternative remedies in handling social anxiety through CBT techniques. Moreover, it will help me in understanding how CBT thought the use of relational focus can increase social functioning in patients with SAD when mediated with safety behavior.
Norton, P. J., " Price, E. C. (2007). A meta-analytic review of adult cognitive-behavioral
treatment outcome across the anxiety disorders. The Journal of nervous and mental disease, 195(6), 521-531.
What the authors investigated
A critical overview of this article reveals that the authors aimed at investigating the use of CBT outcome among adults. Essentially, this was a clinical meta-analysis of the effects and impacts of CBT treatment approaches to different anxiety disorders with emphasis on adult.
Why they did
The authors conducted the above study with two main objectives. First, there was a need to understand how CBT treatment techniques vary across adults when they are diagnosed with different social anxiety. Secondly, the fact that the researchers established limited research on this topic in regard to different methods that have been used to analyze the findings necessitated the need to conduct a meta-analysis study that could give the border picture of CBT testament and their effects and impacts among adults who had different forms of social orders in regard to the healing ability. This was in view of the need to establish the effectiveness of the alternative form of treatments that are given to the victims. Moreover, most of the studies which had been performed had only utilized one diagnosis and thus limiting the number of different alternatives that could be used to treat social disorders, and therefore this presented an opportunity for a different study to be conducted focusing on different form of diagnosis that could open up varied form or alternatives that can be used to treat social anxiety.
How they did
As already mentioned above, this was purely a meta-analysis literature review study which was based on clinical experimentation. The inclusion and exclusion of the secondary articles were based on the RCTs methods. Over 100 tests were conducted. All the data used in the study was strictly based on the guidelines stipulated by the DSM-III-R (American Psychiatric
Association, 1987) or DSM-IV. Data were calculated using mean techniques which used the cumulative average to determine the relationship between the variables. The analysis and results were presented in a table with resulting weighted averages. Moreover, a simple regression method was used to analyze the different predictors of CBT and other alternatives.
What they found out
After undertaking more than 100 experiment, the study established that cognitive therapy as well as exposure therapy wither when analyzed alone, combined or not combined with relations training were essentially successful across different anxiety disorders. Nevertheless, when compared across different diagnoses, the result revealed that the outcomes varied significantly ranging from generalized anxiety to posttraumatic stress of which the results were greater in the latter with no other CBT impacts being displayed in both situations using different alternatives to cure social disorders. Moreover, it was concluded that the CBT impacts were more superior for all no action or expectancy control behavior although the tentative results strongly recommended that CBT had equal impacts with other methods used to test social anxiety especially when relaxation methods are used.
Generally, the manner in which the findings of the article is presented has a strong relationship with my study topic. For instance, the use of meta-analysis study provided more alternative methods that are used to treat the social disorder and thereby presenting the success and the failure of each method. Moreover, I will be in a position to evaluate the various conditions that suits specific treatment and thus recommending the best treatment for specific social anxiety.
References
Alden, L. E., Buhr, K., Robichaud, M., Trew, J. L., " Plasencia, M. L. (2018). Treatment of
social approach processes in adults with social anxiety disorder. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 86(6), 505.
Norton, P. J., " Price, E. C. (2007). A meta-analytic review of adult cognitive-behavioral
treatment outcome across the anxiety disorders. The Journal of nervous and mental disease, 195(6), 521-531.
