A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy on social phobia

This meta-analysis was aimed at evaluating the evidence related to the effectiveness of Internet-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (ICBT) in patients with social phobia. A systematic review of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) with regard to the effectiveness of ICBT for patients with social phobia was sought across multiple databases. The outcome variable in clinical trials was decline in symptoms of social phobia. The measures used included LSAS, SPS, SP-12, BAI and SAD. Twenty clinical trials met the inclusion criteria (1211 patients overall). The results of the analysis revealed that the ICBT is more effective compared to other treatments or control conditions based on patients' evaluation. The results of the present meta-analysis provide preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of ICBT as a clinical method for social phobia and suggest that more RCTs are needed to compare ICBT with common treatments such as medication, neurological methods, and behavioral interventions.