Mindfulness and acceptance-based group therapy versus traditional cognitive behavioral group therapy for social anxiety disorder: A randomized controlled trial

Recent research has supported the use of mindfulness and acceptance-based interventions for Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to compare mindfulness and acceptance-based group therapy (MAGT) with cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBGT) with respect to outcome. It was hypothesized that MAGT and CBGT would both be superior to a control group but not significantly different from one another. METHOD: Individuals (N = 137, mean age = 34 years, 54% female, 62% White, 20% Asian) diagnosed with SAD were randomly assigned to MAGT (n = 53), CBGT (n = 53) or a waitlist control group (n = 31). The primary outcome was social anxiety symptom severity assessed at baseline, treatment midpoint, treatment completion, and 3-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes were cognitive reappraisal, mindfulness, acceptance, and rumination. Depression, valued living, and group cohesion were also assessed. RESULTS: As hypothesized, MAGT and CBGT were both more effective than the control group but not significantly different from one another on social anxiety reduction and most other variables assessed. CONCLUSIONS: The present research provides additional support for the use of mindfulness and acceptance-based treatments for SAD, and future research should examine the processes by which these treatments lead to change.