The authors conducted a study on social anxiety (SA) – a commonly occurring condition in psychotic disorders – and its impact on functionality. Their randomized controlled trial involved testing the effectiveness of group cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention for SA (CBT-SA) on youth experiencing the first episode of psychosis (FEP).
They recruited 96 patients with FEP and SA from five different FEP programs in Montreal for 13 weekly group sessions of either CBT-SA or CR intervention. Over time, both interventions resulted in a reduced occurrence of SA. Yet, there was a distinct improvement in negative symptoms, personality, and self-reported recovery at follow-up, indicating that CBT-SA had a positive impact on extending beyond SA symptoms.