Mindfulness and acceptance-based group therapy and traditional cognitive behavioral group therapy for social anxiety disorder: Mechanisms of change.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the mechanisms of change (cognitive reappraisal for CBGT vs. mindfulness and acceptance for MAGT) in treating social anxiety disorder (SAD).
Results Summary
Mindfulness was found to be an important mechanism of change for both MAGT and CBGT, with bidirectional effects between mindfulness and social anxiety. Cognitive reappraisal had a greater impact on CBGT, while acceptance results were less clear.
Population
Adults with social anxiety disorder (n = 69 total, 37 in MAGT, 32 in CBGT).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBGT) | decrease | social anxiety | treatment completers from a randomized clinical trial | - | had a greater impact | #1 |
mindfulness and acceptance-based group therapy (MAGT) | decrease | social anxiety | treatment completers from a randomized clinical trial | - | had a greater impact | #2 |
cognitive reappraisal coupling | decrease | social anxiety | treatment completers from a randomized clinical trial | - | had a greater impact on social anxiety for CBGT than MAGT | #3 |
mindfulness | decrease | social anxiety | treatment completers from a randomized clinical trial | - | predicts subsequent change in social anxiety | #4 |
social anxiety | decrease | mindfulness | treatment completers from a randomized clinical trial | - | predicts subsequent change in mindfulness | #5 |
The present study investigated mechanisms of change for two group treatments for social anxiety disorder (SAD): cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBGT) and mindfulness and acceptance-based group therapy (MAGT). Participants were treatment completers (n = 37 for MAGT, n = 32 for CBGT) from a randomized clinical trial. Cognitive reappraisal was the hypothesized mechanism of change for CBGT. Mindfulness and acceptance were hypothesized mechanisms of change for MAGT. Latent difference score (LDS) analysis results demonstrate that cognitive reappraisal coupling (in which cognitive reappraisal is negatively associated with the subsequent rate of change in social anxiety) had a greater impact on social anxiety for CBGT than MAGT. The LDS bidirectional mindfulness model (mindfulness predicts subsequent change in social anxiety; social anxiety predicts subsequent change in mindfulness) was supported for both treatments. Results for acceptance were less clear. Cognitive reappraisal may be a more important mechanism of change for CBGT than MAGT, whereas mindfulness may be an important mechanism of change for both treatments.