OBJECTIVE:Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is one of the most common mental disorders, with the majority of those affected not receiving primary care or psychotherapy. Internet-based treatments may be an alternative for individuals with SAD. We hypothesize that interpersonal characteristics differ between SAD patients in face-to-face (ftf) and online treatments, and that these factors predict treatment outcomes. METHODS:The sample consisted of 539 patients with SAD from four different online treatment studies (N = 376) and one university outpatient clinic in Europe (N = 163) who received integrative CBT. Interpersonal problems were assessed at baseline and symptom severity at baseline and treatment termination. RESULTS:Results showed similar interpersonal patterns of being nonassertive and socially inhibited in both treatment groups at baseline, with patients in online treatment being more severely affected than those in ftf therapy. Interpersonal problems of communion were predictive of outcome in both treatments. Low communion reflects interpersonal coldness, distance, and difficulty forming close bonds, whereas high communion reflects excessive dependence, submissiveness, and overinvolvement with others. Patients with interpersonal problems of low communion benefited more from ftf therapy, while patients with interpersonal problems of high communion benefited more from online therapy. CONCLUSION:These findings underscore the importance of considering interpersonal problems when planning and evaluating treatment for SAD. In the future, it may be possible to predict if a particular SAD patient benefits more from online versus ftf treatment from their baseline interpersonal problems and recommend the suitable treatment.

Hintergrund: Beziehungsprobleme gehen mit psychischen und physischen Problemen einher. Auch wenn effektive Behandlungsmöglichkeiten existieren, suchen viele Paare spät oder keine professionelle Hilfe. Die Kombination eines Online-Programms mit einer Paarberatung kann helfen, Barrieren wie hohe Kosten, lange Anfahrtswege oder Wartezeiten zu reduzieren und den Zugang zu effektiver Beratung zu erleichtern. Methoden: Die Studie prüfte die Wirksamkeit des PaarBalance®-Online-Programms zur Verbesserung der Beziehungszufriedenheit in Kombination mit einer niederfrequenten Face-to-Face-Paarberatung in einem unkontrollierten Prä-post-Design. In diesem naturalistischen, an die Routinepraxis der Beratenden (n = 8) angelehnten Design erhielten die 92 Teilnehmenden, welche über die Beratungsstellen oder über Zeitungsartikel rekrutiert wurden, während eines 15-wöchigen Interventionszeitraums neben wenigen Beratungsterminen einen Zugang zum Online-Programm. Gemessen wurde die Auswirkung des kombinierten Unterstützungsangebots auf Beziehungszufriedenheit, Depressivität und Angst zu drei Messzeitpunkten (Prä, Post nach 15 Wochen und Follow-up nach 12 Wochen). Die Daten wurden mit hierarchisch linearen Modellen analysiert. Ergebnisse: Die Beziehungszufriedenheit verbesserte sich signifikant während der Interventionsphase (Cohens d = 0,29) und blieb während der Follow-up-Phase stabil. Für Depression und Angst zeigten sich keine signifikanten Veränderungen. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass das PaarBalance®-Programm in Kombination mit einer niederfrequenten Paarberatung ein effektives Mittel zur Verbesserung der Beziehungszufriedenheit darstellen könnte. Zukünftige kontrollierte Studien sind nötig, um die Wirksamkeit dieses Modells abschließend zu klären.

Objective: Although relationship distress is strongly associated with mental health problems, poorer social functioning and lower quality of life, only a minority of distressed couples engage in effective couples therapy. Common barriers are the financial burden, fear of being stigmatized, long waitlists and logistical concerns, such as the difficulty in scheduling appointments. Therefore, more accessible help for relationship distress is needed, such as internet-based interventions. Method: This study evaluates the efficacy of the German web-based PaarBalance program, an 18-sessions online program for couples and individuals in an intimate relationship. Participants with relationship distress recruited via the internet had access to the unguided self-help program for twelve weeks. A total of 117 individuals (N = 60 participated as couples, N = 57 participated without a partner) were randomly assigned to begin the intervention immediately or to a 12-week waitlist control group. The primary outcome was relationship satisfaction. Secondary outcomes included symptoms of depression and anxiety. Results: The intervention group showed significant improvement in relationship satisfaction (Cohen's d = 0.77) compared with the waitlist control group. Small to medium effect sizes in favor of the intervention group, but no statistically significant differences were found regarding depression (d = 0.43) and anxiety (d = 0.45). Conclusion: PaarBalance seems to be an effective self-guided intervention to improve relationship satisfaction in people with relationship problems.

Background: Relationship problems are related to compromised mental and physical health. Even though effective treatment options are available, many couples reach out for professional help too late. Removing some of the barriers to obtaining couple therapy, such as high costs, long waitlists, or logistical concerns, may improve access to effective couples counseling. Methods: The present study evaluated the effectiveness of the PaarBalance (R) online program aimed to improve relationship satisfaction in combination with low-frequency face-to-face relationship counseling in an uncontrolled pre-post design. In this naturalistic research setting, oriented to the routine of counselors (n = 8), 92 participants were recruited via the counseling services or local newspapers and got access as well as a few counseling sessions for 15 weeks. The outcome variables (relationship satisfaction, depression, and anxiety) were measured pre, 15 weeks post, and at 12week follow-up and analyzed with hierarchical linear models. Results: Relationship satisfaction improved significantly during the intervention period (Cohen's d = 0.29) and remained stable at follow-up. There were no significant effects on depression or anxiety. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the PaarBalance (R) program in combination with low-frequency face-to-face relationship counseling might be an effective intervention to improve relationship satisfaction. Randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of this treatment approach. (c) 2021 S. Karger AG, Basel