Five Year Follow-up of Internet-based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

Five Year Follow-up of Internet-based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is one of the most prevalent anxiety disorders in the western world. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is the psychological treatment that has the largest empirical support. However, the availability to CBT is very limited in Sweden due to lack of therapists with proper training. Therefore it is important to evaluate alternative forms of treatment that are more time efficient. One of these methods is Internet based self-help therapy, which has proven to be an effective treatment for social anxiety disorder.

In this study, the investigators aim to conduct a follow-up assessment five years after completed Internet-based CBT. Participants received treatment within the context of a randomised controlled trial conducted in 2005. Thus, in the present study there will be no treatment interventions, only assessment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Must have a primary diagnosis of social phobia

Exclusion Criteria:

• Substance abuse during the last 6 months
• Other dominating diagnosis (not phobic personality disorder)
• A history of bipolar disorder or psychosis
• Major depression according to DSM-IV and >20 on madrs-s
• Risk of suicide
• Start of medication or change of dosis during the last 2 months
• Other parallel psychological treatment
• Previous CBT (last 3 years) for social phobia