Publication Date

12-2019

Document Type

Article

Organizational Units

Graduate School of Professional Psychology, Graduate School of Social Work

Keywords

Social anxiety, Unemployment, Cognitive-behavioral therapy, Minorities

Abstract

This paper provides a methodological description of a multi-site, randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a cognitive-behavioral intervention for enhancing employment success among unemployed persons whose employment efforts have been undermined by social anxiety disorder (SAD). SAD is a common and impairing condition, with negative impacts on occupational functioning. In response to these documented employment-related impairments, in a previous project, we produced and tested an eight-session work-related group cognitive-behavioral therapy provided alongside vocational services as usual (WCBT + VSAU). WCBT is delivered by vocational service professionals and is designed in a context and style that overcomes accessibility and stigma-related obstacles with special focus on employment-related targets. Our previous project found that WCBT + VSAU significantly improved social anxiety, depression, and a range of employment-related outcomes compared to a control group of socially anxious job-seekers who received vocational services as usual without WCBT (VSAU-alone). Participants in this study were all homeless, primarily African American job-seekers with high levels of psychiatric comorbidity and limited education and employment histories. The present, two-region study addresses whether WCBT + VSAU enhances job placement, job retention and mental health outcomes in a larger sample assessed over an extended follow-up period. In addition, this trial evaluates whether the effects of WCBT + VSAU generalize to a new population of urban-based, racially diverse job-seekers with vocational and educational histories that differ from our original sample. This study also investigates the system-effects of WCBT + VSAU in a new site that will be informative for broad implementation of WCBT + VSAU. Finally, this project involves a refined, technology-assisted form of WCBT + VSAU designed to be delivered more easily by vocational services professionals.

Copyright Date

10-23-2019

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Rights Holder

Joseph A. Himle, Richard T. LeBeau, Addie Weaver, Daphne M. Brydon, Deborah Bybee, Amy M. Kilbourne, Raphael D. Rose, Katherine M. Tucker, Richard Kim, Marcelina Perez, Fonda N. Smith, Brandy R. Sinco, Scott Levine, Nicole Hamameh, Zipora Golenberg, Monique McKiver, Paul T. Wierzbicki, Anni M. Hasratian, and Michelle G. Craske

Provenance

Received from CHORUS

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

10 pgs

File Size

546 KB

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. User is responsible for all copyright compliance. This article was originally published as:

Himle, J. A., LeBeau, R. T., Weaver, A., Brydon, D. M., Bybee, D., Kilbourne, A. M., ..., & Craske, M. G. (2019). Study protocol: A multisite trial of work-related cognitive behavioral therapy for unemployed persons with social anxiety. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 16, 100464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conctc.2019.100464

Publication Title

Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications

Volume

16

First Page

100464

ISSN

2451-8654

PubMed ID

31701038

Download



Share

COinS