Psychology Commons^™

Can School Counselors Deliver Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment For Social Anxiety Effectively? A Randomized Controlled Trial, Carrie Masia, Daniela Colognori, Chad Brice, Kathleen Herzig, Laura Mufson, Chelsea Lynch, Philip T. Reiss, Eva Petkova, Jeremy K Fox, Dominic C. Moceri, Julie Ryan, Rachel G. Klein

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) typically onsets in adolescence and is associated with multiple impairments. Despite promising clinical interventions, most socially anxious adolescents remain untreated. To address this clinical neglect, we developed a school-based, 12-week group intervention for youth with SAD, Skills for Academic and Social Success (SASS). When implemented by psychologists, SASS has been found effective. To promote dissemination and optimize treatment access, we tested whether school counselors could be effective treatment providers. Method: We randomized 138, ninth through 11th graders with SAD to one of three conditions: (a) SASS delivered by school counselors (C-SASS), (b) SASS delivered by …