GO-OSCA Trial
Research type
Research Study
Full title
GO-OSCA Trial: Examining the efficacy of Online Social anxiety Cognitive therapy for Adolescents (OSCA) for the treatment of social anxiety disorder in adolescents.
IRAS ID
339554
Contact name
Eleanor Leigh
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford / Research Governance, Ethics & Assurance
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 3 months, 31 days
Research summary
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is common and impairing. At the moment, standard treatment for adolescents with SAD in NHS Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS) is a broad exposure-based CBT (hereon called ‘Graded CBT’), a type of CBT used to treat all common anxiety problems. Whilst in general outcomes from this type of CBT are good, the presence of SAD is a consistent predictor of poorer outcome. In contrast, for adults, we have a highly effective treatment; cognitive therapy for SAD (CT-SAD) is one of the first line treatments recommended by NICE (159). NICE also recommend CT-SAD be considered for use with adolescents, However, most young people with SAD will receive their treatment from NHS services which are limited to approximately 7 60-minute sessions whilst CT-SAD typically takes 14 90-minute sessions.
We have developed an internet-delivered therapist assisted version of CT-SAD for young people, called Online Social anxiety Cognitive therapy for Adolescents (OSCA), which provides a means to deliver the key elements of CT-SAD within the constraints of NHS services. A preliminary waitlist-controlled study undertaken in schools found 77% of young people recovered after OSCA compared to 14% allocated to waitlist (Leigh & Clark, 2023).
The present randomised controlled trial (RCT) seeks to compare the efficacy of OSCA to graded CBT in reducing social anxiety symptoms among young people aged 11-18 years old for whom SAD is the primary problem. After initial assessments, participants will receive treatment, with outcomes assessed at 16-, 26-, and 40-weeks post-randomisation. If further funding is secured we will assess outcomes at 66-weeks. The primary outcome is self-reported social anxiety symptom outcomes. Other self- and parent-reported clinical outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and acceptability will also be examined, and whether any beneficial outcomes of OSCA are associated with changes in processes targeted by OSCA. A subsample of clinicians will be interviewed to understand their experience of delivering OSCA.
REC name
London - Riverside Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/LO/0641
Date of REC Opinion
30 Sep 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion