Traditionally, Cognitive Behavior Therapy researchers have developed and tested diagnostic specific treatment manuals. Most of which are efficacious. However, since comorbidity between anxiety and mood disorders is common and as the choice of the best suited treatment manual for each patient can be hard when delivering the treatment via the internet, transdiagnostic interventions have been put forward.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of unified protocol vs. diagnostic specific treatment in a group of 147 individuals with social anxiety. The score on Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale at pre-treatment was M=52.7.

The interventions were both delivered via the internet during 9 weeks. In addition, the relative effect of no guidance vs. guidance on demand was investigated in a factorial design with 25 % of the patients randomized into each of the four groups. The preliminary results at week 9 show large within group effects (average Cohen’s d = 1,03), but no significant between-group differences as measured with the self-report MINI-SPIN-R and OASIS/ODSIS.

At the time of the conference 6-month follow-up data will be available in addition to the already collected post-assessment data (analyzed according to the intention-to-treat principle).