Aims: As a common disorder, the social anxiety disorder is characterized by the persistent fear of social situations and severe physical and mental reactions. Its prevalence and effect being noticed, different psychotherapy methods were raised to reduce or annihilate it. The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of task-concentration training technics on the social anxiety symptom reduction in persons with social anxiety.

Materials & Methods: In the controlled pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study, 20 students with social anxiety disorder were studied in Shahed University in 2014-15 academic year. The subjects, selected via stepwise cluster sampling method, were randomly divided into two groups including control and experimental (task concentration training) groups. Data was collected using the social anxiety questionnaire and the structured clinical interview. Five one-hour task-concentration treatment sessions were conducted in experimental group. Data was analyzed by SPSS 16 software using independent T test.

Findings: The mean scores of social anxiety and its sub-scales were not significantly different in experimental and control groups at the pretest stage (p>0.05). Nevertheless, the pretest-posttest differences of the scores of social anxiety and its subscales including avoidance, fear, and physiologic discomfort between the groups were significant (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The task-concentration training techniques reduce the social anxiety symptoms in persons with social anxiety disorders.

Aims: As one of the most prevalent disorders in the adolescents, the comorbidity of social anxiety disorder and depression leads to bad outcomes for them. The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of the midfulness-based cognitive therapy on the cognitive-behavioral avoidance and mental rumination in patients with comorbidity of social anxiety and depression.

Materials & Methods: In the controlled follow-up pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study, 30 female high-school students with the social anxiety and depression comorbiduty were studied in Khorramabad in the academic year 2015-16. The subjects, selected via purposeful sampling method, were randomly divided into two 15-person groups including experimental and control groups. Data was collected by  the structured clinical interview for Axis 1 disorders, the social anxiety questionnaire for the adolescents, Beck depression inventory- second edition, the cognitive-behavioral avoidance scale, and the ruminative responces scale. Eight 2-hour group mindfulness-based cognitive-therapy training sessions (one session per week) were conducted in experimental group, while control group received no intervention. Finally, posttest was conducted in both groups and a follow-up step was conducted 2 month latter. Data was analyzed by SPSS 19 software using multi-variable covariance analysis test.

Findings: The mean scores of the cognitive-behavioral avoidance and mental rumination items in the posttest and follow-up steps significantly decreased in experimental group compared to control group (p<0.01).

Conclusion: The mindfulness-based cognitive therapy reduces the cognitive-behavioral avoidance, as well as the mental rumination, in the patients with the social anxiety and depression comorbidity.

Aims: The emotional schema model emphasizes on evaluation and interpretation of emotions and emotion regulation strategies. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Emotional Schema Therapy (EST) on decrease of Post-event rumination and cognitive avoidance in people with clinical symptoms of social anxiety.
Materials & Methods: This is a semi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest control group. For this purpose, 32 students with clinical symptoms of social anxiety were screened with the cut-off point of the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) and clinical interviews and were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The Post Event Processing Questionnaire (PEPQ) and Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire (CAQ) were used to collect data in two conditions (pretest and posttest). Experimental group experienced 10 weeks of emotional schema therapy, while the control group received no treatment. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (ver 23) and Multivariate Analysis Of Covariance (MANCOVA).
Findings: The average of post-event rumination and cognitive avoidance were reduced in the experimental group in posttest. After controlling the effect of pre-test scores, there were significant differences between the test and control groups in terms of all variables (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Emotional Schema Therapy due to the emphasis on the role of the individual beliefs and strategies about emotions can be used as an effective intervention in order to reduce symptoms of social anxiety, for example the Post-event rumination and cognitive avoidance in the people with clinical symptoms of social anxiety.