3 Session CBM-I with II for adolescents with Social Anxiety
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An exploratory investigation of the efficacy of a three session Cognitive Bias Modification for Interpretation (CBM-I) training, with Implementation Intentions (II), for adolescents experiencing high levels of social anxiety: A single-case series.
IRAS ID
150198
Contact name
Holly Smith
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of East Anglia
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, days
Research summary
Social anxiety involves having an out of proportion fear of social situations and can lead to avoidance and distress. Anxiety is a common disorder for adolescents and can have a significant impact on adulthood and life events, such as jobs, relationships and further mental health problems. However, social anxiety has poor treatment recovery rates.
Cognitive explanations propose that social anxiety involves having negative biases and interpreting social situations in a negative way. Cognitive Bias Modification for Interpretation (CBM-I) training is a computer-based paradigm that has been found to be effective in changing biases in a positive or benign way in people with anxiety. Research has often recruited analogue and adult samples and recruitment of adolescents from clinical samples are particularly sparse. However, it has been found that adolescents who enjoy CBM-I are more likely to change their interpretation style.Implementation Intentions (II) are instructions used to increase goal attainment and have been found to help regulate anxiety. The current study aims to investigate whether CBM-I with IIs can reduce negative biases and social anxiety in adolescents with clinical levels of social anxiety. Furthermore, measures of enjoyment will be obtained to see whether enjoyment is a related to this change. Nine young people with clinical levels of social anxiety will be recruited and randomised to baseline assessment periods of 7, 9 or 11 days. Participants then complete three days of CBM-I training. Measures will be repeated following training using the same baseline period and again two weeks post-training. It is predicted that the training will modify interpretation biases to more benign or positive levels and reduce social anxiety after training and at the follow up. The feasibility and acceptability of training will also be explored using qualitative methods to see how applicable the training is in a clinical sample.
REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/1599
Date of REC Opinion
8 Oct 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion