Online Study on the Impact of a Self-Help Tool for Social Anxiety

The goal of this clinical trial is to understand which individuals benefit most from an internet-based cognitive behavioral intervention for social anxiety. Adults aged 18-65 will complete a self-guided online program designed to reduce anxiety symptoms. The investigators will use a combination of self-reported clinical information and data from computerized decision-making and cognitive tasks to predict changes in symptom scores from the intervention.

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Key information

Conditions

Social Anxiety

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Princeton University, but recruitment and study are conducted completely online and can occur anywhere in the US.

Princeton, New Jersey, 08540, United States

Location contact

Jamie C Chiu, PsyD

CONTACT

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Age 18 to 65 years
Live in the United States
Comfortable reading and writing in English
Have regular access to the internet and a desktop/laptop computer
Report wanting to feel more comfortable in social situations, to improve social confidence, and/or to reduce symptoms of social anxiety as primary reason for joining the study
Have a valid photo ID and be willing to complete a video-based identity verification call if requested

Exclusion criteria

Lack of attention when completing parts of the study, and/or not completing the study tasks as instructed

Treatment and study plan

Internet-delivered self-help for social anxiety based on principles of cognitive behavioral therapy

Behavioral

Participants will be offered the use of a self-help tool, e-couch (https://ecouch.com.au), for 5 weeks. e-couch is an online, self-directed tool that provides interactive self-help and evidence-based information to help users understand and manage common mental health challenges including symptoms of depression and anxiety. The e-couch social anxiety program will be used in this study. It is structured like an interactive self-help book and participants can log back into at any time to learn and review skills. The e-couch social anxiety program includes a comprehensive information module, as well as self-help modules with interactive exercises and workbooks that teach evidence-based strategies. The content will cover topics such as cognitive restructuring and exposure, with an emphasis on learning strategies to reduce social anxiety.

Primary outcomes

Predictive accuracy of change in social anxiety symptom severity, as measured by Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) total score, from baseline to end of intervention (5 weeks)

Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) to end of intervention (5 weeks)

Social anxiety symptom severity will be assessed using the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), a validated self-report questionnaire measuring fear and avoidance across social interaction and performance situations. The LSAS total score ranges from 0 to 144, with higher scores indicating greater social anxiety symptom severity.

LSAS total scores will be collected at baseline (pre-intervention) and at the end of the 5-week e-couch intervention period. The outcome metric is the individual-level change in LSAS total score, calculated as the end-of-intervention score minus the baseline score.

The primary outcome is the accuracy with which pre-intervention self-report measures and computerized behavioral task performance predict change in LSAS total score. Analyses will examine the extent to which individual differences in decision-making and cognitive task performance account for variability in symptom change across participants.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Jamie C Chiu, PsyD

CONTACT

[email protected]

(609) 258-4442

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Trustees of Princeton University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2026
Primary completion: 2026
Study completion: 2027
First posted: Feb 12, 2026
Registry last updated: Apr 20, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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