Combined Psychoeducation and Treatment with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors for Youth with Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder

Abstract

Treatment outcome data for childhood social anxiety are scant. Studies that do exist support the efficacy of both pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions. Aside from case reports, studies assessing the efficacy of combined treatment approaches are even more limited. In the current study, we present preliminary findings from a combined psychoeducational and pharmacological treatment program for children and adolescents (ages 8-17 years) with generalized social anxiety disorder. Twelve participants received 12 weeks of citalopram treatment (maximum dose 40 mg/day) and eight brief counseling sessions (15 minutes each). Counseling sessions included education about social anxiety, skills coaching, and behavioral exercises; parents were included in these sessions. Based on clinician global ratings of change, 10 of 12 (83.3%) youths reported improvement: 41.7% (n = 5) of the participants were very much improved, and 41.7% (n = 5) were much improved. Significant changes were also found on self-report ratings of social anxiety, depression, and parents' perceptions of children's social skills during the course of treatment. Findings support the need for double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of combined treatments for youth with generalized social anxiety disorder.