Online Study on the Impact of a Self-Help Tool for Social Anxiety

NCT07408102 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 18016
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 200
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to understand which individuals benefit most from an internet-based cognitive behavioral intervention for social anxiety. Adults aged 18-65 will complete a self-guided online program designed to reduce anxiety symptoms. The investigators will use a combination of self-reported clinical information and data from computerized decision-making and cognitive tasks to predict changes in symptom scores from the intervention.

Conditions

Social Anxiety

Keywords

Cognitive Restructuring; Exposure Therapy; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Internet-Based Intervention; Social Anxiety; Predictive Models; Patient-Specific Modeling

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Predictive accuracy of change in social anxiety symptom severity, as measured by Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) total score, from baseline to end of intervention (5 weeks)

  Social anxiety symptom severity will be assessed using the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), a validated self-report questionnaire measuring fear and avoidance across social interaction and performance situations. The LSAS total score ranges from 0 to 144, with higher scores indicating greater social anxiety symptom severity. LSAS total scores will be collected at baseline (pre-intervention) and at the end of the 5-week e-couch intervention period. The outcome metric is the individual-level change in LSAS total score, calculated as the end-of-intervention score minus the baseline score. The primary outcome is the accuracy with which pre-intervention self-report measures and computerized behavioral task performance predict change in LSAS total score. Analyses will examine the extent to which individual differences in decision-making and cognitive task performance account for variability in symptom change across participants.

  Baseline (pre-intervention) to end of intervention (5 weeks)

Study Arms (1)

Intervention Group

EXPERIMENTAL

All participants are assigned to the e-couch social anxiety program. Over a 5-week study period, participants are instructed to complete specific modules on a weekly schedule. They are asked to engage with the program at least once per week for approximately 30 minutes. Participants receive weekly reminders and guidance indicating which modules to complete each week.

Behavioral: Internet-delivered self-help for social anxiety based on principles of cognitive behavioral therapy

Interventions

Internet-delivered self-help for social anxiety based on principles of cognitive behavioral therapy BEHAVIORAL

Participants will be offered the use of a self-help tool, e-couch (https://ecouch.com.au), for 5 weeks. e-couch is an online, self-directed tool that provides interactive self-help and evidence-based information to help users understand and manage common mental health challenges including symptoms of depression and anxiety. The e-couch social anxiety program will be used in this study. It is structured like an interactive self-help book and participants can log back into at any time to learn and review skills. The e-couch social anxiety program includes a comprehensive information module, as well as self-help modules with interactive exercises and workbooks that teach evidence-based strategies. The content will cover topics such as cognitive restructuring and exposure, with an emphasis on learning strategies to reduce social anxiety.

Intervention Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age 18 to 65 years
• Live in the United States
• Comfortable reading and writing in English
• Have regular access to the internet and a desktop/laptop computer
• Report wanting to feel more comfortable in social situations, to improve social confidence, and/or to reduce symptoms of social anxiety as primary reason for joining the study
• Have a valid photo ID and be willing to complete a video-based identity verification call if requested

You may not qualify if:

• Lack of attention when completing parts of the study, and/or not completing the study tasks as instructed

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Trustees of Princeton University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Princeton University, but recruitment and study are conducted completely online and can occur anywhere in the US.

Princeton, New Jersey, 08540, United States

Location

Study Officials

• Yael Niv, PhD

  Princeton University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Jamie C Chiu, PsyD

  Princeton University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Jamie C Chiu, PsyD

CONTACT

(609) 258-4442; jamiechiu@princeton.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 12, 2025
• First Posted: February 12, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): June 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2027
• Last Updated: April 20, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, ICF, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: Within one year after study completion
• Access Criteria: Upon reasonable request and providing that the requesters will treat the data in line with the researchers' ethical principles. Researchers may also make de-identified data publicly available.

Locations

US (1)