2026/07/29 by Guan Xin, Xin Guan, Xu-Hong Li +11
Medicine · Psychology · #Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes #Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder #Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
paper · doi:10.1177/10497315261471082
openalex publication_date 2026/07/29 · openalex created_date 2026/07/30 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Purpose: Social anxiety disorder is common among youth with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and causes substantial functional impairment. Nonpharmacological interventions (NPIs) are frequently used, but the evidence base remains limited and heterogeneous. Method: We conducted a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses compliant systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published between 2014 and 2024 examining NPIs for social anxiety in youth with NDDs. Five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and six single-arm studies met inclusion criteria; random-effects models were used. Results: Pooled RCT analysis showed no significant difference between intervention and control (Hedges’ g = −0.42, 95% CI [−0.96, 0.11]) with high heterogeneity. Single-arm studies similarly showed no significant pre–post effect. Most studies had moderate to high risk of bias. Discussion: Current evidence is insufficient to draw firm conclusions about NPI effectiveness for social anxiety in youth with NDDs. Adequately powered RCTs with standardized outcomes and more diverse samples are needed.