"We've set a new world record in effectively treating social anxiety disorders," said researcher Hans M. Nordahl. A team of doctors and psychologists from NTNU and the University of Manchester in England, led by Nordahl, examined the effects of structured talk therapy and medication on patients with social anxiety disorders.
This study has been published in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. Until now, a combination of cognitive therapy and medication was thought to be the most effective treatment for these patients.
The researchers' results show that cognitive therapy on its own has a much better effect over the long term than just drugs or a combination of the two.
Nearly 85 percent of the study participants significantly improved or became completely healthy using only cognitive therapy. "This is one of the best studies on social anxiety disorders ever," said Nordahl.
He added, "It's taken ten years to carry out and has been challenging both academically and in terms of logistics, but the result is really encouraging."
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