Abstract
A recent meta-analysis revealed that cognitive behavioral therapies based on Clark and Wells’ or Heimberg’s models were the most effective for individuals with social anxiety disorder, compared to other pharmacological and psychological treatments. This meta-analysis also suggested that it is important to optimize treatment efficacy because there are patients who could not obtain sufficient effects of the treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapies for social anxiety disorder involve exposure to feared social situations. Significant advances have been made in the field of cognitive neuroscience on fear conditioning and extinction. Craske defined inhibitory learning according to the cognitive neuroscience concepts of extinction learning and emotion regulation. The present paper overviewed the essence of cognitive behavioral therapies for social anxiety disorder in order to enhance treatment efficacy based on Craske’s inhibitory learning and acceptance and commitment therapy perspectives.
