Social Support for Anxiety

Overseen By Erica Hornstein, PhD

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of California, Los Angeles

Must not be taking: Mental health medications

Disqualifiers: Pregnancy, Bipolar, Psychosis, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 3

100 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to understand how reminders of social support, known as Social Support Therapy, can reduce fear in individuals with and without social anxiety disorder. Participants will view images of a supportive person or a smiling stranger while exposed to non-threatening cues. The goal is to determine if these images lessen fear responses. Suitable candidates include healthy adults with no mental health history and those diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. As an unphased trial, this study allows participants to contribute to foundational research that could lead to new therapeutic approaches.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial requires that participants do not regularly use prescription medications related to mental health disorders. If you are currently taking such medications, you may need to stop before participating.

What prior data suggests that this method is safe for participants?

Research has shown that social support can help reduce fear in people with anxiety. In studies, participants who looked at pictures of loved ones during fear tests felt less afraid than when viewing other images. These findings suggest that reminders of social support might be safe and helpful.

The studies reported no negative effects, supporting the idea that using social support as a treatment is well-tolerated. For those concerned about safety, this approach seems promising. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about using social support as a treatment for anxiety because it takes a unique approach compared to standard therapies like medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Unlike traditional treatments that focus on altering brain chemistry or changing thought patterns, social support leverages human connections to alleviate anxiety. This method could offer a more natural and accessible option for people, emphasizing community and relationships as therapeutic tools. Plus, it has the potential to reduce reliance on medications, which often come with side effects.

What evidence suggests that social support might be an effective treatment for anxiety?

Research has shown that support from others can help reduce anxiety. Some studies suggest that thinking about supportive people can lessen fear over time in those with anxiety. This trial will explore the effects of Social Support Therapy, where participants engage with supportive figures or reminders. Another study indicated that social support can protect against anxiety, reducing its severity on mental health. Overall, these findings suggest that social support may be a useful tool in managing anxiety and fear. ^{1 2 5 6 7}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This study is for adults aged 18-55, with or without social anxiety disorder. Healthy participants must have no mental illness history, while anxious ones can also have depression or PTSD but not bipolar, psychosis, substance use disorders. Participants should speak English fluently and not be on mental health meds or pregnant.

Inclusion Criteria

I am a healthy adult between 18 and 55 years old.

I have been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and may also have depression, other anxiety disorders, or PTSD.

You have never been diagnosed with a mental illness by a mental health professional, including anxiety, depression, phobia, or any other related disorder.

Exclusion Criteria

You have been diagnosed in the past with a mental illness such as anxiety, depression, or phobias, and/or have been prescribed medication for a mental health disorder.

I regularly take prescription medication for a mental health disorder.

You have certain mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder, psychosis, substance use disorder, neurological disorder, and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder that are not allowed in this study.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

1 visit (telephone), 1 visit (in-person)

Fear Extinction Procedure

Participants undergo a fear extinction procedure with threatening cues paired with images of social support figures or smiling strangers

1 session

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants return for a follow-up test to determine if fear extinction was successful

24 hours post-extinction

1 visit (in-person)

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Social Support

Trial Overview Researchers at UCLA are testing if reminders of a social support figure can help reduce fear in people with anxiety disorders as it does in healthy individuals. The test involves pairing images of either a support figure or stranger with threatening cues without actual shock to see if this reduces fear over time.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Social Support Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of California, Los Angeles

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,594

Recruited

10,430,000+

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Collaborator

Trials

3,007

Recruited

2,852,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Patients with anxiety disorders perceive significantly lower levels of social support and have a diminished sense of purpose in life compared to healthy individuals, indicating a potential area for therapeutic intervention.

Emotional support and older age positively influence the sense of life in those with anxiety disorders, suggesting that enhancing social connections and utilizing age-related experiences could be beneficial in treatment strategies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Social support and sense of life in patients with anxiety disorders - preliminary report. Kroplewski, Z., Serocka, A., Szcześniak, M.[2020]

Highly anxious first-time mothers who received professional intervention showed a significant reduction in anxiety levels after 12 months, supporting the effectiveness of social support in alleviating anxiety.

Mothers receiving lay interventions also experienced a moderate reduction in anxiety, although it was not statistically significant, indicating that both types of support may help, but professional support may be more effective.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A test of the social support hypothesis. Parker, G., Barnett, B.[2019]

Cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBTs) are the most researched and effective psychotherapeutic interventions for adults with social anxiety disorder, showing consistent benefits across various forms of CBT.

There are also effective pharmacological treatments available, and while CBTs have shown efficacy for children and adolescents, further research is needed to understand treatment responses and the potential benefits of combining CBT with medication.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The treatment of social anxiety disorder. Rodebaugh, TL., Holaway, RM., Heimberg, RG.[2018]

In a study of 51 individuals (23 women and 28 men) with social anxiety disorder, no significant differences in perceived social support were found between genders, challenging some common assumptions.

Younger, unmarried women reported smaller and less satisfying social support networks compared to older, married women, suggesting that targeted interventions focusing on social support may be beneficial for this specific group.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Gender differences in social support for socially anxious individuals. Ham, L., Hayes, SA., Hope, DA.[2018]

In a study of 794 treatment-seeking alcoholics, those with social phobia (SP) had lower occupational status and fewer years of education compared to those without social phobia (NSP), indicating potential socioeconomic challenges that may affect treatment.

The SP group reported significantly less perceived social support from friends and performed worse on social behavior measures, highlighting the need for tailored treatment plans that consider the social support available to individuals with social phobia.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Baseline Differences in Social Support Among Treatment-Seeking Alcoholics With and Without Social Phobia. Thevos, AK., Thomas, SE., Randall, CL.[2019]

A study involving 245 patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD) found that the severity of baseline SAD symptoms predicted treatment outcomes for both guided and unguided self-help interventions, indicating that those with more severe symptoms may benefit more from these treatments.

For unguided self-help, participants who rated the treatment program as more credible showed better adherence, suggesting that the perceived quality of the program can enhance engagement and effectiveness.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Outcome predictors in guided and unguided self-help for social anxiety disorder. Nordgreen, T., Havik, OE., Ost, LG., et al.[2022]

A survey of 184 individuals in two peer-led anxiety disorder support groups revealed that a significant majority (94% in Dallas and 61% in Durham) met criteria for at least one current anxiety or affective disorder, highlighting the prevalence of these conditions among those seeking support.

The study found that individuals with social phobia had an increased risk of substance abuse compared to those with other anxiety disorders, indicating a need for targeted interventions for this specific group.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Demographics, treatment seeking, and diagnoses of anxiety support group participants. Segee, PF., Maguire, L., Ross, J., et al.[2019]

The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) was found to be a reliable and clinically significant measure for assessing treatment effects in individuals with social phobia.

While other measures showed statistical changes, only the SPAI demonstrated consistent and meaningful improvements, highlighting its effectiveness in evaluating treatment outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Assessing reliable and clinically significant change in social phobia: validity of the social phobia and anxiety inventory. Beidel, DC., Turner, SM., Cooley, MR.[2019]

A new, comprehensive treatment for severe social phobia has shown effectiveness in a pilot study, particularly for individuals with co-occurring mental health conditions.

The treatment resulted in significant improvements across various outcome measures, highlighting the importance of a multifaceted approach to effectively address social phobia.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A multicomponent behavioral treatment for social phobia: social effectiveness therapy. Turner, SM., Beidel, DC., Cooley, MR., et al.[2019]

In a study of 55 patients diagnosed with anxiety, 65% were found to have Generalized Anxiety Disorder, with an average anxiety level measured at 20.9 points on the Hamilton Scale, indicating moderate anxiety severity.

The study highlighted that social factors, such as employment status and age, significantly impact anxiety levels and overall social adaptation, suggesting that addressing these social aspects is crucial in the treatment of anxious patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Social assessment of anxiety in primary health care]. Menárguez Puche, JF., Alcántara Muñoz, PA., Martínez Martínez, P., et al.[2016]

Patients with higher functional social support at the start of treatment showed better retention rates and modest reductions in alcohol abuse severity over 6 months, compared to those with low social support.

While both groups experienced improvements in negative affect and substance abuse severity, low social support was linked to higher levels of depression and a greater likelihood of dropping out of treatment.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The role of functional social support in treatment retention and outcomes among outpatient adult substance abusers. Dobkin, PL., De, CM., Paraherakis, A., et al.[2022]

The pilot trial tested an online program aimed at increasing help-seeking intentions for social anxiety disorder among 82 Australian adults, showing that while it did not significantly boost help-seeking intentions, it improved attitudes towards seeking psychological help and increased perceived need for treatment.

Participants who completed the intervention gained better knowledge about social anxiety disorder compared to those in the control group, indicating that the program may enhance understanding and awareness, which could be crucial for encouraging individuals to seek help.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Help seeking for social anxiety: A pilot randomised controlled trial. Griffiths, KM., Walker, J., Batterham, PJ.[2023]

Individuals with generalized social phobia reported significantly lower levels of perceived social support compared to healthy controls and other clinical groups, based on data from 132 participants.

The study suggests that addressing deficits in perceived social support could be crucial in treating generalized social phobia, as these deficits may contribute to the development of additional mental health issues.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Deficits in perceived social support associated with generalized social phobia. Torgrud, LJ., Walker, JR., Murray, L., et al.[2019]

In a follow-up study of 319 youth, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) components were rated as significantly more helpful by those without an anxiety disorder, indicating that the effectiveness of CBT may vary based on the presence of an anxiety disorder.

Barriers to anxiety improvement, such as being bullied and difficulty applying therapy skills, were identified as significant factors differentiating youth with and without anxiety disorders, highlighting the importance of addressing these issues in long-term treatment strategies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Client-rated facilitators and barriers to long-term youth anxiety disorder recovery. Casline, EP., Ogle, RR., Peris, TS., et al.[2023]

Citations

1. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1330720/full

Social support and mental health: the mediating role of ... This study aimed to explore whether perceived stress mediate the relationship between social support and positive affect, anxiety, and depression.

2. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04565041

Social Support and Enhanced Fear Extinction Can Social Support Figures Enhance Fear Extinction in Patients with Social Anxiety? Conditions. FearAnxiety. FearAnxiety. FearAnxiety. FearAnxiety. Intervention ...

3. nature.com nature.com/articles/s41598-025-14336-x

Social support and anxiety, a moderated mediating model This study highlights the importance of social support as an effective buffering mechanism against anxiety, substantiating its role in ...

4. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-anxiety-disorders-2022-7b74e

Social Support for Anxiety Trial Overview Researchers at UCLA are testing if reminders of a social support figure can help reduce fear in people with anxiety disorders as it does in ...

5. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8298022/

An Argument for Reconsidering the Role of Social Support in ... Social support reminders actually enhance fear extinction and lead to lasting reduction of fear, suggesting that they may have beneficial effects during ...

6. sanlab.psych.ucla.edu sanlab.psych.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2018/10/Hornstein2018CPS.pdf

A Unique Safety Signal: Social-Support Figures Enhance ... We found that, for conditional fear stimuli paired with social-support-figure images during extinction, return of fear was inhibited both immediately after ...

7. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006322321017972

Reclassifying the Unique Inhibitory Properties of Social ... Specifically, images of social support figures, one type of social support cue, have been shown to not only inhibit the fear response while ...