Introduction
mental disorders, SAD
DISORDER, WELLS
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by the fear of behaving in a way that is negatively perceived by others [On the one hand, there are ways to treat SAD. For example, a recent meta-analysis demonstrated that individualized cognitive therapy (CT) based on the model of Clark and Wells [Addressing these treatment barriers, Lee and Stapinski [Previous studies that have examined the effectiveness of ICBTs have largely used treatment programs delivered via a computer. Today, however, the use of a smartphone including its apps is even more widespread, rendering mobiles a promising option for the treatment of mental disorders. It might even have more advantages than ICBTs delivered via a computer, as apps seem to be easily integrated into daily routines [This raises the important research question of whether the effectiveness of apps can be enhanced by accompanying face-to-face sessions with a therapist. To date, few studies have addressed this question. The authors assume that therapist guidance could additionally increase compliance with ICBT treatment as well as the motivation to complete it. Another advantage of therapist-guided ICBT over nonguided ICBT could be higher patient safety, as the therapist can assist when questions or ambiguities arise, or when adverse side effects of ICBT occur, such as worsening of symptoms, negative well-being, or noncompliance [Particularly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, new ways of providing therapeutic support have been developed: Due to the limitations of physical contact, the use of videoconferencing has increased dramatically. A meta-analysis has shown that video-based psychotherapy typically has large effect sizes and that the difference to in-person therapy is negligible [In summary, the use of ICBT delivered via a smartphone application could improve the accessibility of psychotherapy and integrate interventions into everyday life, making it a promising approach for the future treatment of SAD. However, few studies have attempted to implement Clark and Wells’ [