Cognitive-behavioral treatment for social phobia in Parkinsonʹs disease: A single-case study Original Research Article

Individuals with Parkinsonʹs disease often exhibit symptoms of social anxiety. However, they rarely meet criteria for social phobia due to the medical exclusion criteria of DSM-IV. The present study reports the case of a 60-year-old male with Parkinsonʹs disease who also met criteria for social phobia. After receiving 12 weekly cognitive-behavioral group sessions for social phobia, clinician ratings and self-report measures at posttreatment and 6-month follow-up showed a significant short-term and long-term reduction of his social anxiety. These findings suggest that cognitive-behavior therapy can be an effective treatment for social anxiety, even if these symptoms are related to Parkinsonʹs disease.