The Effectiveness of Unified Trans diagnostic Therapy on Cognitive Errors, Rumination and Cognitive Avoidance in Social Anxiety Disorder Patients: A Case Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology, Khatam University, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Welfare, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of unified trans-diagnostic treatment on cognitive errors, rumination, and cognitive avoidance in social anxiety disorder patients.
Method: The research was a single-case experimental design with multiple baselines (ABAB) as well as a one-month follow-up. The research population have been patients suffering from social anxiety referred to Arvin Clinic in 2022 and three participants were selected on a voluntary basis. Instruments included the Ruminative Response Scale, Cognitive Avoidance, Cognitive Distortion, and Social Panic Questionnaires. Therapy was performed according to the integrated unified trans-diagnostic protocol for one hour, two months, and twice a week. Percentage recovery, Cohen's effect size, and visual analysis were used to analyze the data.
Results: Results showed that integrated unified trans-diagnostic protocol significantly reduced cognitive errors, rumination, and cognitive avoidance in participants. The overall improvement percentage of social anxiety in the participants was 57%, 59%, and 48% and these rates remained stable in the one-month follow-up.


Conclusion: These findings suggested that integrated trans-diagnostic therapy is an essential therapy to remedy cognitive errors, ruminations, and cognitive avoidance and is highly recommended for treatment of the social anxiety-disordered patients.

Keywords