Cognitive-behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder: Current status and future directions
Abstract
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most thoroughly studied nonpharmacologic approach to the treatment of social anxiety disorder, and its efficacy has been demonstrated in a large number of investigations. This article summarizes the data on the efficacy of CBT for the treatment of the symptoms of social anxiety disorder and impaired quality of life. The relative efficacy of various CBT approaches, both in the short-term and over extended follow-up periods, is reviewed. Factors associated with more or less positive response to CBT among patients with social anxiety disorder are examined. Special attention is given to the comparison of CBT with pharmacologic approaches to the treatment of social anxiety disorder and the potential utility of combining these approaches. Future directions in the application of combinations of CBT and pharmacotherapy to the treatment of social anxiety disorder are discussed.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
These guidelines emphasise CBT as the first-line treatment for overall SAD, particularly the Clark & Wells or Heimberg model.
“These guidelines emphasise cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as the first-line treatment, particularly the Clark & Wells (Clark and Wells 1995) or Heimberg model (Heimberg 2002).”
From Epidemiology, genetics, neuroimaging, clinical features, and treatment between overall and performance-only social anxiety disorder: a narrative review (2026) · cites this paper as Heimberg 2002
CBT is a time-limited and present-oriented approach to psychotherapy that equips patients with the mental and social tools necessary for adaptive functioning in their private lives and social circles.
“CBT is a time-limited and present-oriented approach to psychotherapy that equips patients with the mental and social tools necessary for adaptive functioning in their private lives and social circles [14].”
CBT is an effective treatment for social anxiety disorder.
“Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for social anxiety disorder (Heimberg, 2002; Rodebaugh, Holaway, & Heimberg, 2004).”
From Cognitive mediators of treatment for social anxiety disorder: comparing acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy. (2014) · cites this paper as Heimberg, 2002
The citation lists haven’t been fetched yet
References 70 · Cited by 351
- Authors
- Heimberg, R. G.
- Affiliations
- Adult Anxiety Clinic of Temple (US)
- Corresponding author
- Heimberg, Richard G.
- ORCID
- Heimberg, Richard G.
- Venue
- Biological Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2002-01
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 101-108
- ISSN
- 0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2007994932
- Cited by
- 351
- References
- 70
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 2.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Assessments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- cognitive behavioral therapy, social anxiety disorder, treatment efficacy, quality of life, predictors of treatment response, drug therapy comparison, combined psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Phobic Disorders, Psychotherapy, Group, Quality of Life, Relaxation Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
