Retraining Attention to Treat Alcohol Dependence and Social Anxiety

Not Applicable

Completed

Interventions: Behavioral: Anxiety Attention Training
Behavioral: Control Training
Behavioral: Alcohol Attention Training

Brief Summary: The purpose of this research is to test a computerized intervention for people with co-occurring social anxiety and alcohol dependence. The intervention seeks to reduce symptoms by shifting attention away from alcohol-relevant and/or socially threatening cues. The investigators expect that participants receiving alcohol or anxiety training will experience reductions in those specific symptoms compared to participants in a control condition. The investigators also expect that participants receiving combined alcohol and anxiety training will show the largest reductions in alcohol and anxiety symptoms, relative to participants in any other condition.

Detailed Description: Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) and Social Anxiety Disorder are disabling and chronic conditions. In spite of these common and significantly overlapping problems, insight into the mechanisms linking alcohol dependence and social anxiety symptoms is minimal, and there are not well established treatment guidelines for this population. In this study, the investigators seek to develop a computerized intervention for individuals with symptoms of social anxiety and alcohol dependence. The intervention attempts to reduce symptoms by shifting attention away from alcohol-relevant and/or socially threatening cues. The investigators expect that participants receiving alcohol or anxiety training will experience reductions in those specific symptoms compared to participants in a control condition. The investigators also expect that participants receiving combined alcohol and anxiety training will show the largest reductions in alcohol and anxiety symptoms, relative to participants in any other condition.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria

Exclusion Criteria

Current psychosis
Unmanaged manic symptoms
Significant cognitive impairment
Other drug use in past month
Receiving cognitive behavioral therapy for alcohol use disorder or social anxiety
Unable to read

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Anxiety Attention Training only	Anxiety Attention Training	Participants will receive Anxiety Attention Training and placebo Alcohol training.
Anxiety + Alcohol Attention Training	Anxiety Attention Training	Participants will receive both Anxiety Attention Training and Alcohol Attention Training.
Control Training	Control Training	Participants will receive placebo Anxiety Training and placebo Alcohol training.
Alcohol Attention Training only	Alcohol Attention Training	Participants will receive Alcohol Attention Training and placebo Anxiety training.
Anxiety + Alcohol Attention Training	Alcohol Attention Training	Participants will receive both Anxiety Attention Training and Alcohol Attention Training.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale	Baseline, weekly throughout the 4-week trial, and in the follow-up sessions (1 week and 1 month follow-ups)	The experimenter-administered Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (Liebowitz, 1987) was the primary measure to assess social anxiety symptoms. This well-validated instrument assesses fear and avoidance across a range of 24 social and performance situations during the course of the previous week. A total LSAS score was computed, ranging from 0 (no fear or avoidance) to 144 (the greatest level of fear and avoidance).
The Daily Drinking Questionnaire	Baseline, weekly throughout the 4-week trial, and in the follow-up sessions (1 week and 1 month follow-ups)	The Daily Drinking Questionnaire (Collins, Parks, \& Marlatt, 1985) was the primary measure used to assess weekly alcohol consumption. This calendar-based measure was administered by the experimenter once per week to monitor changes in symptoms. The measure assessed the total number of drinks in the past week.

Secondary Outcome Measures