The Role of Social Skills Training in the Treatment of Social Anxiety: A Systematic Review

Social skills training (SST) is often used to teach basic and specific social skills in the treatment of social anxiety disorder (SAD). However, the content, duration, and form of such training vary. This systematic review aimed to (a) to examine the demographic and clinical characteristics of the populations for whom these interventions have been used, such as age, gender, and the composition of the subgroups, (b) to describe the main elements of different SST programs, and (c) to evaluate the effectiveness of SST, including session duration, setting, content, population, and techniques, and analyze the effects of reducing symptoms of social anxiety. We conducted a systematic literature review using three databases to identify the literature on SST. The search was restricted to peer-reviewed studies published from January 2000 to December 2023 that used SST to treat SAD in any age group. We found 14 different SST programs used with individuals aged 6 to 78 years. The content of these programs was mainly similar. However, there was considerable variation in small-group sessions’ duration and frequency, and how they were delivered and/or integrated into daily life. SST showed positive effects in the majority of included trials. Symptom reduction was maintained or further reduced after 6 months to 5 years of follow-up. Our review found a need for more research focusing on methodological rigor, standardization, the role of parental involvement, the role of supervision, and the comparison of SST with other therapies.