The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Based Interventions in Adults with Social Anxiety Disorder: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a common anxiety disorder causing individuals to feel anxious, nervous, and distressed in public situations requiring performance, such as public speaking. Today, psychotherapies are known to be effective in reducing SAD symptoms. Mindfulness is a significant component of third-wave cognitive therapies, effective in treating mental disorders with psychotherapy. This study examines research articles to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) in SAD. The national literature lacks a review study on this topic. International databases scanned with the keywords “mindfulness-based therapy,” “mindfulness-based intervention,” “social anxiety,” and “social phobia” revealed twenty-one studies that met inclusion criteria. These articles covered mindfulness-based stress reduction programs, acceptance-based treatment, and interventions with adult sampling related to SAD problems. In comparing the methodological and practical features of studies meeting the criteria, we observed that MBI generally reduced SAD symptoms and affected social anxiety-related attitudes and characteristics. Although MBI was more effective than the control group or wait-list group, some studies showed no significant differences compared to other treatment groups. MBI was effective and significantly reduced SAD symptoms in efficacy studies based on the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up data when excluding comparison and control groups. In light of these findings, new studies will need more methodological control and longer follow-up times to increase the reliability and generalizability of MBI in SAD.