Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Recruit Similar Brain Regions

BrainPost, 27 July 2021

Social anxiety disorder is a common psychiatric disorder that affects around one in every eight people. Individuals affected by social anxiety disorder experience significant burdens on social functioning and quality of life. Two different treatments – cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBGT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) – have been proven effective in treating SAD. Previous research into the effects of CBGT and MBSR on social anxiety disorder has predominantly relied on self-report measures but has shown similar effects on decreasing negative thoughts while increasing mindfulness skills. Evidence suggests that CBGT and MBSR activate similar brain regions involved in emotion regulation. However, there is yet to be a study that directly compares the effects of CBGT and MBSR on emotion-regulating brain activation and how this activation relates to symptoms at 1-year post-treatment. Read more.