The efficacy of bibliotherapy for social phobia

Yu Sun Chung, Jung Hye Kwon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study investigated the efficacy of bibliotherapy (BT) in the treatment of social phobia. Thirty-eight subjects who met the diagnostic criteria for social phobia were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: bibliotherapy with feedback (BT 1), bibliotherapy without feedback (BT 2), and a waiting-list (WL) control condition. Before and after treatment, the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) and Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), two of the most widely and consistently used measures of social anxiety, were administered. Those individuals in the BT 1 and BT 2 groups exhibited significant reductions from pre- to posttreatment on the SPS relative to the WL group but not on the SIAS. In addition, there were more individuals who showed a clinically significant improvement (CSI) in the BT 1 and BT 2 groups than in the WL group. However, there were no significant differences between the BT 1 and BT 2 groups. After the BT, 16 of the 38 participants received cognitive-behavioral group treatment (CBGT). After CBGT, those participants who had received BT and shown a CSI exhibited a significantly higher reduction on the SPS than both those participants who had received BT but did not show a CSI and the WL group. The implications for future research are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)390-401
Number of pages12
JournalBrief Treatment and Crisis Intervention
Volume8
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2008

Keywords

  • Bibliotherapy
  • Self-help
  • Social phobia

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