Behavioural Experiments for Social Anxiety (School Staff Guide)

This resource is designed to help school staff understand and support behavioural experiments in pupils working on social anxiety.

It offers practical, therapist-informed strategies for staff to encourage, reflect with, and reassure young people as they face fears. Emphasising small steps and real-life learning, it reinforces that gentle, calm support from trusted adults can make a meaningful difference to therapeutic progress.

References & Further Reading

  • Alves F, Figueiredo DV, Vagos P. (2022)  The Prevalence of Adolescent Social Fears and Social Anxiety Disorder in School Contexts. Int J Environ Res Public Health
  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
  • Clark, D. M., & Wells, A. (1995). A cognitive model of social phobia. In R. G. Heimberg, M. R. Liebowitz, D. A. Hope, & F. R. Schneier (Eds.), Social phobia: Diagnosis, assessment, and treatment (p. 69–93). The Guilford Press.
  • Connor, K.M., Davidson, J.R., Churchill, L.E., Sherwood, A., Weisler, R.H. and Foa, E., 2000. Psychometric properties of the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN): New self-rating scale. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 176(4), pp.379-386.
  • Hofmann SG. Cognitive factors that maintain social anxiety disorder: a comprehensive model and its treatment implications. Cogn Behav Ther. 2007;36(4):193-209. doi: 10.1080/16506070701421313. (Accessed 29/02/24)
  • Kashdan, T.B. and Herbert, J.D., 2001. Social anxiety disorder in childhood and adolescence: Current status and future directions. Clinical child and family psychology review, 4, pp.37-61.
  • Knappe S., Sasagawa S., Creswell C. (2015) Social Anxiety and Phobia in Adolescents. Springer; Cham, Switzerland: Developmental Epidemiology of Social Anxiety and Social Phobia in Adolescents; pp. 39–70.
  • Leigh E, Clark DM. Cognitive Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder in Adolescents: A Development Case Series. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy. 2016;44(1):1-17. doi:10.1017/S1352465815000715 (Accessed 29/02/24)
  • Leigh, E., Percy, R., Clark, D.M., Creswell, C. and Waite, P., 2023. Cognitive and behavioural processes in adolescents with social anxiety disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 170, p.104416.
  • Mohammadi, M.R., Salehi, M., Khaleghi, A., Hooshyari, Z., Mostafavi, S.A., Ahmadi, N., Hojjat, S.K., Safavi, P. and Amanat, M., 2020. Social anxiety disorder among children and adolescents: A nationwide survey of prevalence, socio-demographic characteristics, risk factors and co-morbidities. Journal of affective disorders, 263, pp.450-457.