Empirical Study of the Effectiveness of Group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Social Anxiety Among Adolescents in Plateau State

Social anxiety disorder in adolescence impairs peer relationships, academic participation, and healthy development, and evidence for the effectiveness of group CBT specifically adapted for Nigerian adolescent contexts is absent from the counselling outcome literature. This study evaluated the effectiveness of group cognitive behavioural therapy for social anxiety among adolescents in secondary schools in Jos, Plateau State, North Central Nigeria. A randomised controlled trial design was employed, with 60 adolescents meeting DSM-5 social anxiety diagnostic criteria randomly assigned to group CBT (n=30) or a waitlist control group (n=30). The 12-session group CBT intervention addressed cognitive distortions, behavioural avoidance patterns, social skills, and exposure hierarchies, adapted for Nigerian cultural norms around social interaction. The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents was administered at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Intent-to-treat analysis showed a significant intervention effect at post-treatment (F = 38.6, p < 0.001, effect size d = 2.16). Treatment gains were maintained and slightly improved at 3-month follow-up. Clinically significant change (reliable improvement above chance) was demonstrated by 73.3 percent of the CBT group versus 10.0 percent of controls. The study fills a critical gap in Nigerian adolescent anxiety treatment research and recommends the protocol as a standard school counsellor-delivered intervention for social anxiety in Plateau State and across North Central Nigeria. Keywords: group cognitive behavioural therapy, social anxiety, adolescents, randomised controlled trial, Plateau State