A New Way to Help Young People with Social Anxiety
Official title: Very Brief Exposure: Exploratory Development of a Novel Exposure Modality for Social Anxiety Disorder in Transition-Age Youth
Funded at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles · NIH-11137619 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is developing a new, quick way to help young people who struggle with social anxiety.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hospital of Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | July 12, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $211,945 |
| NIH project number | 5R21MH135353-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11137619 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for future participation in related studies would be transition-age youth and adolescents diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose anxiety is not related to social situations or who do not fit the age criteria may not directly benefit from this specific intervention.
What this research studies
Social anxiety is a common challenge for many young people, especially after recent events, and current treatments don't always work for everyone. This project is creating a new, very brief approach called Very Brief Exposure (VBE) that has already shown promise in helping people with specific fears like spider phobia. VBE uses quick presentations of images related to fears, which can be done without a therapist and at a low cost. Our goal is to adapt this successful VBE method to help adolescents who experience social anxiety. We will develop the specific VBE intervention for social anxiety and also learn more about how it affects the brain.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this new approach could offer a more accessible and effective treatment option for adolescents struggling with social anxiety, potentially reducing distress and improving their daily lives.
How similar studies have gone: Ten previous randomized controlled trials have established Very Brief Exposure as an effective treatment for specific phobias, showing it helps people tolerate feared situations.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Peterson, Bradley S — Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Peterson, Bradley S
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy for Veterans with Social Anxiety and PTSD Symptoms
A clinical trial tests whether a flexible brain-behavior therapy helps veterans with social anxiety and PTSD symptoms feel better and engage more in daily life.
-
Comparing two types of therapy for veterans with social anxiety and PTSD
This study is looking at whether a new type of therapy called Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy can help veterans with Social Anxiety Disorder and PTSD feel better and reconnect with important activities and relationships, compared to traditional therapy that focuses on just one issue.
-
Developing a new treatment for social anxiety in young people
This study is testing a new, gentle treatment for teens with Social Anxiety Disorder that helps them face their fears in a safe way, using hidden images to gradually reduce their anxiety, and it's designed especially for those who haven't found relief with other therapies.
-
Investigating cannabidiol as a treatment for social anxiety disorder
This study is looking at whether CBD, a natural compound from cannabis, can help people with social anxiety feel less anxious, and if you join, you'll either get CBD or a placebo to see how it affects your symptoms and brain activity.
-
Doula support to improve mood and anxiety health for rural mothers
A rural-focused program tests whether birth doulas can boost confidence, support, and maternal health for new mothers with mood and anxiety concerns.
-
Understanding how heavy drinking and anxiety relate in emerging adults
This grant studies how heavy alcohol use and anxiety symptoms interact in young adults (ages 18–34) and what biological stress markers might reveal about that relationship.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.