Social effectiveness therapy for children: three-year follow-up

This study reports the results of a 3-year follow-up assessment of children and adolescents diagnosed with social anxiety disorder (social phobia) and treated with Social Effectiveness Therapy for Children (SET-C), a comprehensive behavioral treatment program combining social skills training, peer generalization, and individualized exposure. Among 32 children initially treated with the protocol, 29 completed the follow-up assessment and were evaluated with a multidimensional assessment strategy, including self-report, parental report, clinician ratings, and behavioral assessment. Results indicated that the majority of posttreatment gains were maintained at 3-year follow-up, and 72% of treated children continued to be free of a social phobia diagnosis 3 years later. These findings support the long-term efficacy of SET-C for children and adolescents suffering from social phobia.