Dysfunctional Attention Processes in Fear of Blushing: Specificity and Changeability

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Blushing is associated with a heightened self-focused attention. In our study we are interested if this self-focused attention can be shown experimentally and if it can be changed by therapy and training. For the experimental part of the study, we want to compare blushing fearful individuals to social anxious participants who are not fearful of blushing and to healthy controls who report to blush either seldom or quite often. In the therapeutical part of our study, we compare an attention training to the standard cognitive behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder in an intensive group therapy approach.

Detailed Description
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Fear of blushing is a specific syndrome in social anxiety disorder. Although attentional biases for social anxiety disorders have often been reported, specific data for fear of blushing are still missing. In this study, dysfunctional attention processes are examined by the use of various questionnaire measures and attention tests (e.g. Stroop test, task switching paradigm) comparing fear of blushers, other social phobia patients, healthy volunteers who report to blush seldomly respectively often. The second goal of the study is to examine if these attention processes can be changed by training and therapy. Therefore, individuals who fulfill DSM-IV criteria for social anxiety disorder and report fear of blushing as main problem, are treated with attention training and with CBT for social anxiety disorder. Therapy will be held in the form of intensive weekend group therapy. Differences in outcomes for both therapy types and in changeability of attention processes on objective test data are examined. Stability of results are tested up to 6-month and 12-month after post-assessment.

Official Title
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Clinical Specificity of Dysfunctional Habitual Attention Processes in Fear of Blushing and Their Changeability

Conditions
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Phobia, Social

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Task Concentration Training
* Behavioral: Standard CBT


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Social anxiety disorder (DSM-IV criteria) and fear of blushing as main complaint age: 18-70 Exclusion Criteria: acute severe depression or bipolar disorder any disorder of ICD group F2 acute and severe substance misuse any bodily illness which hinders from study participation

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 70 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Factorial Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Active Comparator: Task Concentration Training<br>Task Concentration Training TCT following Bögels et al. (1997) | Behavioral: Task Concentration Training<br>* Task Concentration Training TCT following Bögels et al. (1997).<br>|
| Active Comparator: Standard CBT<br>standard Cognitive Behavior Therapy, standard CBT following the model of Clark and Wells (1995). | Behavioral: Standard CBT<br>* Standard CBT following the Clark-and-Wells (1995) model of social anxiety disorder, relying on the German manual for SAD (stangier et al., 2006). Includes the model, role-plays with and without safetey behavior, video-feedback.<br>|
| No Intervention: Wait list control<br>Wait list control group | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Brief Social Phobia Scale | Brief Social Phobia Scale BSPS is an interview assessing fear and avoidance in seven social situations and severity of four bodily symptoms. | pre, within, post, 6-months, and 12-months follow-up | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Social Phobia Composite | The social phobia composite includes several self-report measures like the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Social Phobia Scale, Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, and Social Phobia Inventory. | pre, within, post, 6-months, and 12-months follow-up | 
| Changes in objective attention test data |  | within, post, 6-months follow-up | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Social Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, Fear of blushing, attention, attention training, cognitive behavior therapy