Arousal Training for Social Anxiety Disorder

Arousal Detection and Training for Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

The primary objective of the study is to examine the safety, usability and preliminary efficacy of a novel arousal-based biofeedback system in alleviating social anxiety. The investigators hypothesize that after 4 weeks of hour-long interventions, participants will show reductions pre- and post-intervention in their Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale scores.

The investigators plan to conduct a waitlist control trial.

Intervention consists of a combination of computerized cognitive behavioral therapy and arousal-based Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy. During the latter component, the physiological variables of participants, such as pulse rate and EEG, will be continuously monitored and presented as feedback to them. Participants will have to deliver speeches to videotaped audiences while striving to regulate their physiological arousal.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Literate in English
• Computer literate
• Able to travel independently
• Agreeable to being video-recorded when going through study protocol
• Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale score of 31 or more
• Public Speaking Anxiety Scale score of 60 or more
• Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) of 8 and below

Exclusion Criteria:

• Has gross visual or hearing impairments
• Has irregular heart rhythm
• On any psychoactive medication
• Involved in any other long-term research study
• Current or previous history of neuropsychiatric disorders (other than depression, which will be assessed by BDI-II)
• Suicide ideation
• Concurrent psychotherapy for any disorder
• Non-responding to a previous psychotherapy