"Study Identifies Effective Treatment For Social Anxiety Disorder."
By: Alex Lindley
Source: The Huffington Post
A new study has been evaluated for the
treatments of social anxiety. These treatments include different types of
medication and talk therapy. It has been said that the individual cognitive
behavioral therapy has proved to be the most effective. The lead study author Evan Mayo-Wilson, DPhil, of the Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health said, "Social anxiety is more than just
shyness. People with this disorder can experience severe impairment, from
shunning friendships to turning down promotions at work that would require
increased social interaction. The good news from our study is that social
anxiety is treatable. Now that we know what works best, we need to improve
access to psychotherapy for those who are suffering" (Lindley, 1). The
cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a one-on-one therapy that questions the
patient to evaluate the relationships between their thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors. It has been noted that CBT can help patients control their
irrational fears. Social anxiety disorder is noted by an unjustifiable fear of
social situations. Many patients who suffer from social anxiety may never get
the treatment they need, either because they refuse to seek it or they do not
have access to it. According to studies, medication is by far the usual choice
for those who suffer from social anxiety, but medication may not be the best
approach. It is effective, but at times can have severe side effects. Study
authors found that CBT produced the most effective and desired form of
treatment among patients.
This article is important because it
raises the awareness for the social anxiety disorder and it shows the audience
how more patients who suffer from this disorder should have access to
treatment. It also shows the reader that more funding can improve the life of
those who need to be treated and displays the need to improve mental health
problems. Like Dr. Mayo-Wilson said, "Greater investment in psychological
therapies would improve quality of life, increase workplace productivity, and
reduce health care costs. The health care system does not treat mental health
equitably, but meeting demand isn't simply a matter of getting insurers to pay
for psychological services. We need to improve infrastructure to treat mental
health problems as the evidence shows they should be treated. We need more
programs to train clinicians, more experienced supervisors who can work with
new practitioners, more offices, and more support staff," (Lindley, 1). 
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