Dealing with Fear of Blushing: A Psychoeducational Group Intervention for Fear of Blushing

摘要

The clinical impression is that people who fear blushing do not easily seek psychological help for their complaints. Therefore, we designed a low-threshold psychoeducational group intervention to reduce fear of blushing. The intervention followed a cognitive-behavioural approach, but in a course setting, e.g., with 'participants' and 'teachers' instead of 'patients' and 'therapists'. The effectiveness of the course in reducing fear of blushing and social anxiety was tested in a group of blushing-fearful individuals (n=47) by using an uncontrolled study design. The course consisted of six weekly sessions and one booster session 3months after the last regular session. Assessments took place upon application, immediately before the intervention, after the sixth session, before the booster session, and at 1-year follow-up. Results showed that the course was effective in reducing fear of blushing as well as symptoms of social anxiety. The positive effect of the course on anxiety measures suggests that it might be a promising approach for treating fear of blushing.