Evidence mapPaperPMID 40646113Full record

Trial reportScientific reports2025

Prevention and treatment of social anxiety disorder in adolescents: mixed method randomised controlled trial of the guided online intervention SOPHIE.

Noemi Walder, Thomas Berger, Dominique Hürzeler, Emily McDougal, Julian Edbrook-Childs, Stefanie J Schmidt

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Noemi WalderDivision of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. noemi.walder@unibe.ch.
Thomas BergerDivision of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Dominique HürzelerDivision of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Emily McDougalAnna Freud, London, UK.
Julian Edbrook-ChildsAnna Freud, London, UK.
Stefanie J SchmidtDivision of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Social anxiety symptoms are highly prevalent in adolescents and negatively impact their social and academic functioning, highlighting the need for effective low-threshold interventions. This randomised controlled trial evaluated the guided online intervention SOPHIE for adolescents (N = 133; 11-17 years) with social anxiety disorder (SAD; treatment) or subclinical social anxiety (indicated prevention) compared to care-as-usual control condition and qualitatively explored their experiences. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, mid-intervention (4 weeks), post-intervention (8 weeks) and 5-month follow-up and analysed using linear mixed-effects models. SOPHIE did not significantly reduce social anxiety symptoms post-intervention but showed a significant between-group effect at follow-up (d = 0.67, 95%CI [0.32;1.02]). Subgroup analyses by diagnostic condition showed a significant between-group effect at follow-up in the subclinical social anxiety (d = 1.53, 95%CI [1.74;0.41]) but not in the SAD condition. Social functioning significantly improved at post-intervention and follow-up, with medium to large effects (post: d=-0.73, 95%CI [-1.08; -0.37]; follow-up: d=-0.32, 95%CI [-0.66; 0.02]). Qualitative interviews post-intervention revealed that participants found the intervention beneficial, although some found exposure exercises challenging and desired additional support. Very heterogeneous needs emerged regarding the guidance provided during the programme. Low-threshold online interventions for adolescents with social anxiety may be effective, particularly as an indicated prevention approach.

Indexed as

Phobia, SocialAdolescentChildFemaleHumansMaleTreatment OutcomeAdolescentsInternet-basedOnline interventionPreventionSocial anxiety disorder

Identifiers

PMID40646113
PMCPMC12254345

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.