Therapeutic Factors of Cognitive Behavioral Group Treatment for Social Phobia

This study investigated the therapeutic factors influencing the outcome of cognitive behavioral group treatment for social phobia and the most helpful therapeutic component. Fifty psychiatric outpatients who were diagnosed with social phobia according to the DSM-IV criteria were chosen as subjects. Patients were asked to complete the Yalom's Curative Factors Questionnaire and Therapeutic Components Evaluation Form at the end of their Cognitive Behavioral Group Treatment (CBGT). The patients who showed more improvement rated significantly higher in therapeutic factors such as "Interpersonal learning-output", "Guidance", "Universality", "Group cohesiveness" than the patients who showed less improvement. Among the four components of CBGT for social phobia, cognitive restructuring was rated as most helpful. These results suggest which therapeutic factors and components should be highlighted in CBGT for social phobia.