Text Message Safety Behavior Fading for Social Anxiety
Purpose
The current study aims to explore the efficacy of a text message based Safety Behavior Fading Intervention compared to an active control intervention.
Condition
- Social Anxiety
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Between 18 Years and 65 Years
- Eligible Genders
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- Social Phobia Inventory Score >29 - Stable Psychotropic Medications for 4 weeks prior to participation
Exclusion Criteria
- Currently participating in psychotherapy for social anxiety
Study Design
- Phase
- N/A
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel Assignment
- Intervention Model Description
- Participants will be randomized in to one of two conditions
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- Single (Participant)
- Masking Description
- Participants will receive one of two matched interventions. They will not be told whether they are receiving the active or control intervention.
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
|
Experimental Experimental: Safety Behavior Fading |
This treatment lasts a total of 28 days. Participants will be asked to identify common safety behaviors related to social anxiety. For the next 14 days, participants will receive instructions to fade out these behaviors. After 14 days, participants will be asked to re-select their target safety behaviors and continue to reduce them over the next two weeks. |
|
|
Active Comparator Unhealthy Behavior Fading |
This treatment lasts a total of 28 days. Participants will be asked to identify common unhealthy behaviors related to social anxiety. For the next 14 days, participants will receive instructions to fade out these behaviors. After 14 days, participants will be asked to re-select their target unhealthy behaviors and continue to reduce them over the next two weeks. |
|
Recruiting Locations
More Details
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- Florida State University
Detailed Description
Safety behavior fading may be a viable standalone intervention for social anxiety. In the present trial, participants high in social anxiety will be randomized to either receive a daily checklist exercise aimed at eliminating (1) safety behaviors or (2) unhealthy behaviors. Individuals randomly assigned to the safety behavior fading condition will receive instructions to decrease or eliminate their four most habitual social anxiety safety behaviors. In addition, they will receive daily reminders via text message to decrease these behaviors, along with a safety behavior monitoring checklist in which the participant indicates the extent to which they decreased and/or eliminated each safety behavior over the previous day. Individuals randomly assigned to the control condition will receive similar text messages and a daily checklist to encourage fading of unhealthy behaviors. Participants in both conditions will complete checklists for 28 days. After day 14 of treatment, participants will re-select their target safety behaviors or unhealthy behaviors, and will then be prompted to reduce these new behaviors for another 14 days.
