Comparison of the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation with ‎attentional bias modification method on reducing social anxiety disorder ‎syndrome

the aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of attentional bias ‎modification ‎ and transcranial stimulation on reducing social anxiety disorder ‎syndrome.

In this study a randomized clinical trial design was used. ‎The statistical population included volunteer students with social anxiety ‎syndrome at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in the academic year ‎‏2016‏‎-‎‏2017‏‎. Participants were ‎‏30‏‎ students who were selected based on the inclusion ‎and exclusion criteria in the study and were randomly divided into two ‎experimental groups (modification of attentional bias and transcranial ‎stimulation) and a control group. Before and after the intervention, all of them ‎completed a social phobias inventory and their reaction time to attention bias ‎tasks was collected. Data were analyzed by covariance model.

the ‎results indicate that both methods of intervention compared to the control ‎group significantly reduced the symptoms of social anxiety disorder and bias ‎towards negative emotional stimuli and increased attention to positive ‎emotional stimuli. There was no significant difference between the two ‎intervention methods.

The findings of the present study ‎emphasize the need to pay attention to and use new therapeutic approaches in ‎the face of social anxiety disorder. Applied implications were discussed.‎