Cognitive behavior therapy  appears to be more effective than other evidence -based psychological techniques , and its effects appear to be more enduring than those of pharmacotherapy .
There is some evidence , albeit limited to certain drug classes , that the combination of  medication and cognitive behavior therapy may be more effective than either strategy used alone .
This article proposes a number of recommendations for the treatment of  generalized social phobia  , based on a systematic literature review and meta- analysis .
For medications , selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and dual serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are first-line choices based on their efficacy and tolerability profiles .
There are other medication classes with demonstrated efficacy in social phobia ( benzodiazepines , antipsychotics , alpha-2-delta lig and s ) , but due to limited published clinical trial data and the potential for dependence and withdrawal issues with benzodiazepines , it is unclear how best to incorporate these drugs into treatment regimens .
Effectiveness Randomized Controlled Trial of Face to Face Versus Internet Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Social Phobia
Objective : To compare the effectiveness of Internet cognitive behaviour therapy ( CBT ) with face-to-face CBT in social phobia . Methods : R and omized controlled trial of 75 patients with social phobia referred to an anxiety disorders clinic . A total of 37 patients participated , and post-treatment data was obtained from 25 Subjects ( Ss ) . An intention to treat analysis was used . The same therapist ( M.D. ) treated both groups . Results : Both groups made significant progress on symptoms and disability measures . There were no significant differences in outcome between the Internet and face-to-face groups . The total amount of therapist time required was 18 min per patient for the Internet group and 240 min per patient for the face-to-face group . Conclusions : Both forms of treatment were equally effective and this is consistent with previous findings in depression and panic disorder . The difference in clinician time required was substantial . If Internet CBT was offered as ‘ st and ard of care ’ the staff time saved would permit a stepped care model in which in-depth therapy for the difficult to recover patients could be provided without an increase in staff
Cognitive behavior therapy  appears to be more effective than other evidence -based psychological techniques , and its effects appear to be more enduring than those of pharmacotherapy .
There is some evidence , albeit limited to certain drug classes , that the combination of  medication and cognitive behavior therapy may be more effective than either strategy used alone .
This article proposes a number of recommendations for the treatment of  generalized social phobia  , based on a systematic literature review and meta- analysis .
For medications , selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and dual serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are first-line choices based on their efficacy and tolerability profiles .
There are other medication classes with demonstrated efficacy in social phobia ( benzodiazepines , antipsychotics , alpha-2-delta lig and s ) , but due to limited published clinical trial data and the potential for dependence and withdrawal issues with benzodiazepines , it is unclear how best to incorporate these drugs into treatment regimens .