Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science (JCBS)
Volume 29, July 2023, Pages 67-75
Authors
Simona Stefan, Paula Stroian, Liviu Fodor, Silviu Matu, Diana Nechita, Ioana Boldea, Iulia Fechete, Daniel Mătiță, Mircea Mustățea
Abstract
Given the high prevalence of social anxiety, developing accessible psychological interventions for this condition becomes a priority. Self-criticism and experiential avoidance have been established as two transdiagnostic mechanisms involved in social anxiety. Contextual Schema Therapy (Cst; roediger, stevens, & brockman, 2018) is a novel psychological treatment addressing these two mechanisms by conceptualizing them as two distinct patterns of schema activation (modes). We therefore aimed to test the efficacy of a brief (single session) CST intervention, delivered in an online group format, for individuals with social anxiety symptoms. We also examined experiential avoidance as a potential mechanism of change. 112 participants with social anxiety symptoms above cut-off were randomized to either the CST group intervention or a waitlist control group. The Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale – Second Version (BFNE-II) and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire – Second Version (AAQ-2) were filled in by participants at baseline, immediately after the intervention and at a two-week follow-up. The CST intervention comprised psychoeducation, a conceptualization of social anxiety in schema and mode terms, reflection exercises, chairwork and imagery techniques. At follow-up, significant reductions in fear of negative evaluation and experiential avoidance were found in the CST group. Experiential avoidance was a marginally significant mediator of the changes in fear of negative evaluation from pre-test to follow-up. The results support the potential large-scale usefulness of brief online CST interventions with socially anxious individuals.