Public Speaking Anxiety Treatment Study

Eligibility

• Have public speaking anxiety
• Have low interest, motivation, or enjoyment in usual activities
• Are 18-60 years old
• Not currently suffering from major medical conditions
• Either un-medicated or stabilized on medications

Purpose

Exposure therapy has been shown to be effective in reducing anxiety. The purpose of the study is to examine and compare the effects of two different forms of therapy (i.e. Positive Affect Treatment and Relaxation Treatment) on subsequent exposure therapy. Each of these therapies includes components and therapeutic strategies that have been demonstrated to be effective for anxiety and stress.

Involvement

• Positive Affect Treatment involves enhancing and increasing positive coping and life strategies. If assigned to this intervention, you will schedule activities you enjoy a few times a week, track completion of these activities, and track your mood. A therapist will help you schedule these activities and review completion of these activities in your sessions.
• Relaxation Treatment focuses on increasing relaxation and reducing physical tension. If assigned to this intervention, you will learn strategies for relaxation, such as mindfulness, diaphragmatic breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation. A therapist will go over these skills with you in your sessions and assign you homework to practice these skills outside of session.

You will participate in 8 sessions of either Positive Affect Treatment or Relaxation Treatment, in addition to 8 sessions of exposure therapy. Sessions will occur twice per week in all treatments, and some sessions will be accompanied by questionnaires. You will also be asked to complete in-person laboratory assessments with our research staff: prior to treatment, after your first treatment, after exposure therapy, and at a 3-month follow-up. During these assessments, your behavior and your physical responses will be monitored and recorded while you are asked to complete experimental tasks (e.g., a public speech task). Also, during three of these assessments, you will also complete an experimental task that occurs either in an MRI scanner (90 mins), or in our standard non-MRI laboratory (60 mins), and involves mild-to-moderate electric shock to your wrist at certain times. These electric shocks should be uncomfortable but not painful; to help ensure that, we will start the shock at a very low level and slowly increase it to whatever you consider uncomfortable but not painful. You will do either the MRI version or the non-MRI version based on whether it is safe to put you in an MRI machine. You will also be asked to complete a decision-making task twice (i.e., before treatment and after your first treatment.

Benefits

Findings from this study may help clinicians provide more effective treatments for psychological disorders. Research has shown that these treatment approaches are likely to be of benefit to those who show symptoms similar to our target population, described above. It is important to note that individuals respond differently to therapy, and so it is not possible to know in advance if the treatment will be helpful in your particular case. However, potential benefits may include a significant reduction in your public speaking anxiety. Also, you will be provided with additional or alternative treatment referrals at any point in time along the study if you make such a request.

Contact

Please fill out our study screener at tinyurl.com/METERUCLA, or reach out to meterstudy@gmail.com with questions.

View Study Flyer (PDF)