Development of an internet-based cognitive behavioral group therapy program for social anxiety symptoms in adolescents and evaluation of its effectiveness

Despite the fact that impairments in functionality due to symptoms of social anxiety are known to occur during adolescence, only a small proportion of adolescents or their parents seek help for these problems, and even less receive effective evidence-based treatment. Since the pandemic, the perspective on psychotherapies has changed in line with the needs of both therapists and clients. In this context, considering that internet-based interventions are becoming increasingly popular, it may provide convenience in cases of reluctance to seek help or inability to recognize the symptoms of social anxiety. Moreover, the literature suggests that these online or internet-based interventions are at least as effective as face-to-face formats and the clinical benefit remains. The present study examined the effect of online cognitive behavioral group therapy on high school students with two randomly divided groups. Social anxiety, general anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia, and fear of positive and negative evaluation were examined. To evaluate the results, a 2 (pre-test, post-test) x 2 (waitlist, experiment) mixed design repeated variance analysis and a repeated measures analysis of variance for the follow-up measurement in the experimental group were conducted. According to the results, the experimental group had significantly lower social anxiety symptoms, fear of positive and negative evaluation, and general anxiety symptoms after the intervention compared to the waitlist group. However, stress, insomnia, and depression levels did not decrease significantly after the intervention. In the follow-up measurement of the experimental group, a significant decrease was found in social anxiety, fear of negative or positive evaluation, and depression, while no significant decrease was found in stress, insomnia, or general anxiety symptoms. The results showed that online cognitive behavioral therapy reduced social anxiety, general anxiety, and fear of positive and negative evaluation levels in the experimental group compared to the control group, indicating that this therapy is a suitable option for social anxiety disorder. Additionally, the discussion section evaluated the intervention's results within the framework of the literature, including the study's limitations and suggestions for future studies.