A form of talk therapy beats antidepressants in treating social anxiety disorder and, unlike the medication, can remain effective long after treatment has stopped, a study shows.
Cognitive behavioral therapy, a type that helps a patient focus on relationships between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, led all treatments in an analysis of 101 clinical trials comparing multiple types of medication and talk therapy. The results are published online in the Lancet Psychiatry.
“Social anxiety is more than just shyness,” says study leader Evan Mayo-Wilson, a research epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. “People with this disorder can experience severe impairment, from shunning friendships to turning down promotions at work that would require increased social interaction.
“The good news from our study is that social anxiety is treatable. Now that we know what works best, we need to improve access to psychotherapy for those who are suffering.”
Social anxiety disorder is characterized by intense fear and avoidance of social situations; it affects up to 13 percent of Americans and Europeans. Most never receive treatment. For those who do, medication is a more accessible treatment because there is a shortage of trained psychotherapists.