Evaluation of a Self-Monitoring Intervention to Reduce Safety Behavior in Social Anxiety

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The current study aims to explore the efficacy of a text message based Safety Behavior Fading Intervention compared to an active control intervention.

Detailed Description
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Safety behavior fading may be a viable standalone intervention for social anxiety. In the present trial, participants high in social anxiety will be randomized to either receive a daily checklist exercise aimed at eliminating (1) safety behaviors or (2) unhealthy behaviors. Individuals randomly assigned to the safety behavior fading condition will receive instructions to decrease or eliminate their four most habitual social anxiety safety behaviors. In addition, they will receive daily reminders via text message to decrease these behaviors, along with a safety behavior monitoring checklist in which the participant indicates the extent to which they decreased and/or eliminated each safety behavior over the previous day. Individuals randomly assigned to the control condition will receive similar text messages and a daily checklist to encourage fading of unhealthy behaviors. Participants in both conditions will complete checklists for 28 days. After day 14 of treatment, participants will re-select their target safety behaviors or unhealthy behaviors, and will then be prompted to reduce these new behaviors for another 14 days.

Official Title
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Evaluation of a Self-Monitoring Intervention to Reduce Safety Behaviors in Social Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Conditions
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Social Anxiety

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Safety Behavior Fading for Social Anxiety
* Behavioral: Unhealthy Behavior Fading


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Social Phobia Inventory Score >29 Stable Psychotropic Medications for 4 weeks prior to participation Exclusion Criteria: Currently participating in psychotherapy

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Participants are randomized in to one of two conditions
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Safety Behavior Fading<br>Participants will be asked to identify their five most common SBs from the SAFE. Participants will then be shown a sample checklist with instructions to fill it out. For the next 14 days, participants will receive the following text message Please remember to avoid using SBs you selected. As you drop them, you'll be able to go into social situations with greater confidence! with a link for their daily checklist to complete. Participants will be asked to rate how often they engaged in each SB over the past 24 hours | Behavioral: Safety Behavior Fading for Social Anxiety<br>* Participants are asked to reduce or eliminate safety behaviors via text message reminders and checklists to monitor progress<br>|
| Active Comparator: Unhealthy Behavior Fading<br>Participants will be asked to pick five unhealthy behaviors they engage in most often to decrease. Participants will then be shown the same sample checklist as the Safety Behavior Fading Group. For the next 14 days participants will receive the following text message Please try to remember to decrease your unhealthy behaviors. As you decrease them you will feel better, and you'll be able to go into social situations with greater confidence! with a link for their daily checklist to complete. Participants will be asked to rate how often they engaged in each Unhealthy Behavior over the past 24 hours. | Behavioral: Unhealthy Behavior Fading<br>* Participants are asked to reduce or eliminate unhealthy behaviors via text message reminders and checklists to monitor progress<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in Social Phobia Inventory Score | Self-report scale that measures Social anxiety symptoms. Scores range from 0 to 68 with higher scores indicating higher levels of social anxiety symptoms. | Day 0, Day 14, Day 42 | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Social Anxiety, Safety Behaviors, Intervention, Text-message