Network structure of social anxiety in patients with social anxiety disorder and university students: Examining the cognitive behavioral model and the role of mindfulness.
Shota Noda, Motohiro Nishiuchi, Giovanbattista Andreoli, Kentaro Shirotsuki, Stefan G Hofmann
Journal of Affective Disorders May 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.119498 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study using psychometric network analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 779 |
| Population | 412 patients with social anxiety disorder and 367 university students |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | A weak negative association was found between the mindfulness facet non-judging and self-focused attention to one's behavior in both patients with SAD and students, and between describing and social anxiety in students. Probability bias and social anxiety were the most central nodes in patients, while social anxiety and cost bias were most central in students; network structure and connectivity differed between the groups. |
Abstract
Self-focused attention, cost/probability bias, and avoidance behavior are maintaining factors of social anxiety. The manipulation of dispositional mindfulness has been shown to reduce social anxiety and its maintaining factors. This study examined the associations among dispositional mindfulness, self-focused attention, cost/probability bias, avoidance behavior, and social anxiety to explore the mechanism of mindfulness and its relationship with social anxiety in patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD) and university students. Data from 412 patients with SAD and 367 students were analyzed using psychometric network analysis. Both groups completed self-report measures assessing dispositional mindfulness, self-focused attention, cost/probability bias, avoidance behavior, and social anxiety. A weak negative association was found between non-judging in dispositional mindfulness and self-focused attention to one's behavior in the SAD patients' network. In the students' network, a weak negative association was observed between non-judging and self-focused attention to one's behaviors, as well as between describing and social anxiety. In the SAD patients' network, nodes with the highest strength centrality were probability bias and social anxiety. In the students' network, nodes with the highest strength centrality were social anxiety and cost bias. The global network structure and connectivity differed between patients with SAD and students. The findings of this study support the cognitive-behavioral model of SAD and highlight the heterogeneity of social anxiety, necessitating tailored intervention strategies.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Patients with a depressive disorder | 2015 | Observational study | |
| Patterning of Cognitive and Somatic Processes in the Self-Regulation of Anxiety: Effects of Meditation versus Exercise Regular practitioners of physical exercise or meditation | 1978 | Retrospective study | n = 77 |
| Dynamic coupling of whole-brain neuronal and neurotransmitter systems Healthy humans | 2020 | Observational study | |
| Psychedelics not linked to mental health problems or suicidal behavior: A population study Randomly selected United States adults | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 135,095 |
Citations in the library
Cites 9
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Self-Focused Attention and Mechanisms of Change in Mindfulness-Based Treatment Cognitive Behaviour Therapy 2009
- Does the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire measure what we think it does? Construct validity evidence from an active controlled randomized clinical trial. Psychological Assessment October 13, 2015
- Low-Intensity Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder: Pilot Study International Journal of Cognitive Therapy June 30, 2023
- Low-intensity mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral therapy for social anxiety: a pilot randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychiatry March 7, 2024
and 4 more in the library