In a recent article (http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000092) published on Journal of Consulting and Clinical PsychologiaY The authors evaluated the effectiveness of group behavioral cognitive therapy (GCBT) and the Mindfulness based regulation return (MBSR) in the treatment of social anxiety disorder.
In the literature it is possible to find some studies that affirm that the effectiveness of interventions such as the MBSR for the treatment of social anxiety, even if the amount of these still appears too limited to affirm their use as an elective tool.
In this study, the authors declare that the aim is to examine the effectiveness of the two types of intervention in reducing the symptomatology of social anxiety and of evaluating what the mediators of change are. Specifically, the hypotheses are: a) a significantly statistical improvement for both treatments compared to the waiting list and for the GCBT only at the end of the treatment and after a year; b) changes in the re -evaluation of thoughts, in advancement and in cognitive distortions median the impact of the GCBT towards the waiting list, while the changes in the skills of Mindfulness, in the focus and direction of attention, in the median rumination the impact of the MBSR towards the waiting list.
For the study, subjects who had not received pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy in the last year have been enrolled or had not attended any MBSR course.
From 2012 to 2014 they were eventually selected 108 subjectsrandomly divided between GCBT (n = 36), MBSR (n = 36) and waiting list (n = 36).
The GCBT was administered by two psychotherapists formed by Heimberg for group treatment for a total of 12 meetings of 2.5 hours each, while for the MBSR the Kabat-Zinn protocol was followed, except for the day of complete meditation converted into 4 further meetings so as to have a total of 12 meetings of 2.5 hours.
The results show that the two treatments are more effective in reducing the symptoms compared to the waiting list, but no one is more effective than the other, neither in the immediate one, nor to follow-up after a year.
As for the possible mediators of change, there seem to be no difference between the two treatments for the decrease of cognitive distortions and rumination, in improving the re -evaluation of beliefs, in the skills of mindfulness and in the focus and direction of attention. Only in reducing avoidance behavior does the GCBT seem higher.
In conclusion it seems that the hypotheses have not been confirmed, indicating how both treatments are equally effectivethere for the treatment of social anxiety disorder.
Goldin, PR, Morrison, A., Jazaieri, H., Brozovich, F., Heimberg, R., & Gross, JJ (2016). Group CBT Versus MBSR for Social Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
