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Cited by 67Digital Mental Health InterventionsAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesImpact of Technology on Adolescents

Leveraging the social network for treatment of social anxiety: pilot study of a youth-specific digital intervention with a focus on engagement of young men

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Rice, Simon, O'Bree, Bridget, Wilson, Michael, McEnery, Carla, Lim, Michelle H., Hamilton, Matthew, Gleeson, John, Bendall, Sarah +12 more·2020·Internet Interventions
DOI 10.1016/j.invent.2020.100323PMC PMC7232094
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Abstract

The primary objective was to determine the acceptability, feasibility and safety of a novel digital intervention (Entourage) for young people with prominent social anxiety symptoms, with a particular focus on the engagement of young men. The secondary aim was to explore whether the intervention was associated with clinically significant improvements to clinical and social variables known to co-occur with social anxiety. A multidisciplinary team comprising of mental health clinicians, researchers, young adult fiction writers, a comic artist and young people with a lived experience of social anxiety developed the Entourage platform in collaboration. Entourage combines evidence-based therapeutic techniques for social anxiety with an engaging, social-media-based interface that allows users to build social connections, while also receiving expert clinical moderation and support from peer workers. Acceptability, feasibility and safety outcomes of Entourage were tested in a 12-week pilot study with 89 young people (48.3% male; age M = 19.8 years, SD = 3.3 years). Eligible participants were recruited via liaison with four headspace early-intervention centres in north-western Melbourne. 56.8% of the sample reported social anxiety symptoms in the severe or very severe range at baseline. Results demonstrated the Entourage intervention was feasible, safe, and potentially acceptable, with 98.6% of participants reporting they would recommend Entourage to another young person experiencing social anxiety. Usage results were also comparable across male and non-male participants. Results showed that young people reliably and significantly improved on clinical and social variables. In particular, young males showed a clinically significant improvement on social anxiety symptoms (d = 0.79, p < .001), depression (d = 0.71, p < .001), belongingness (d = 0.58, p = .001), increased feelings of social connectedness (d = 0.46, p = .004) and decreased loneliness (d = 0.46, p = .006). Non-male participants also experienced a significant increase in social connectedness (d = 0.76, p < .001), alongside reduced social anxiety (d = 0.78, p < .001) and experiential avoidance (d = 0.81, p < .001). Entourage is a highly engaging and potentially effective intervention that represents a novel combination of features designed both to reduce social anxiety symptoms and improve social connection among young people. Entourage demonstrated some acceptability, feasibility and safety, with encouraging benefits to clinical and social variables. Entourage also showed favorable results for the engagement and support of young men with social anxiety symptoms.

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  • Results from several pilot studies and a clinical trial showed that MOST was engaging over prolonged periods of time, safe, non-stigmatising, endorsed and valued by young people, clinicians, and services, effective in improving vocational recovery and reducing use of hospital services in youth psychosis, cost-saving, and cost-effective.

    “Results from several pilot studies and a clinical trial showed that MOST was engaging over prolonged periods of time; safe; nonstigmatising; endorsed and valued by young people, clinicians, and services; effective in improving vocational recovery and reducing use of hospital services in youth psychosis; cost-saving; and cost-effective, with four clinical trials underway.”

    From The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on youth mental health (2024) · cites this paper as [371]

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  1. Bowden S.C. Neuropsychological Assessment in the Age of Evidence-based Practice: Diagnostic and Treatment Evaluations 2017 Oxford University Press New York, USA
  2. Mattick R.P. Clarke J.C. Development and validation of measures of social phobia scrutiny fear and social interaction anxiety Behav. Res. Ther. 36 4 1998 455 470 9670605

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Authors
Rice, S., O'Bree, B., Wilson, M., McEnery, C., Lim, M. H., Hamilton, M., Gleeson, J., Bendall, S., D'Alfonso, S., Russon, P., Valentine, L., Cagliarini, D., Howell, S., Miles, C., Pearson, M., Nicholls, L., Garland, N., Mullen, E., McGorry, P. D., & Alvarez-Jimenez, M.
Affiliations
  • The University of Melbourne (AU)
  • Swinburne University of Technology (AU)
  • Australian Catholic University (AU)
  • Orygen (AU)
Corresponding author
Rice, Simon
ORCID
Venue
Internet Interventions
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-04
Volume
20
Pages
100323
ISSN
2214-7829 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.invent.2020.100323
PMC
PMC7232094
OpenAlex
W3022557181
Cited by
67
References
92
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1
FWCI
8.36
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Internet Interventions (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Swinburne figshare (Swinburne University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Movember Foundation
  • Beyond Blue (SIC-2017)
  • National Health and Medical Research Council (APP1082934, APP115888)
  • Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship
  • State Government of Victoria
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
Keywords
social anxiety, digital mental health interventions, social networks, young men, youth mental health, social connectedness, loneliness, depression, experiential avoidance, peer support, social media, intervention feasibility and acceptability, co-occurring symptoms, sense of belonging, early intervention

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