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Help seeking for social anxiety: A pilot randomised controlled trial
Kathleen M Griffiths1, Jennie Walker2, Philip J Batterham2
1Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Australia.
Digital Health
|June 27, 2018
Summary
An online program improved attitudes towards psychological help and increased perceived treatment need for social anxiety disorder. Further research is needed to confirm its effectiveness in promoting help-seeking behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Mental Health
- Digital Health
Background:
- Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a prevalent mental health condition.
- A significant barrier to treatment is the low rate of help-seeking among individuals with SAD.
- Effective interventions to promote help-seeking for SAD are critically needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of an online intervention designed to increase help-seeking intentions for social anxiety disorder.
- To assess the impact of the intervention on anxiety literacy, attitudes toward seeking help, internalized stigma, and perceived need for treatment.
Main Methods:
- A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted with Australian adults experiencing untreated SAD symptoms.
- Participants were assigned to either the Shyness Information Online intervention or an attention control group.
- Outcomes included help-seeking intentions, anxiety literacy, attitudes, stigma, and perceived treatment need.
Main Results:
- The intervention group demonstrated significantly more favorable attitudes towards seeking psychological help (p=0.025) and a higher perceived need for treatment (p≤0.001).
- Participants in the intervention group showed significantly greater knowledge about social anxiety disorder post-intervention (p<0.001).
- While help-seeking intentions did not significantly increase (p=0.097), the intervention was well-accepted and the recruitment strategy was feasible.
Conclusions:
- The online intervention shows promise in improving factors related to help-seeking for social anxiety disorder.
- Further research is warranted to confirm the intervention's effectiveness and explore its impact on actual help-seeking behavior.
- Investigating the underlying model of SAD help-seeking is crucial for refining such interventions.
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