The Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program on Anxiety Sensitivity and Fear of Negative Evaluation in Non-Athlete Adolescent Girls with Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder

Determining the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based stress reduction program on anxiety sensitivity and fear of negative evaluation in non-athlete adolescent girls with symptoms of social anxiety disorder.

A controlled randomized clinical trial with two parallel groups and single-blind design will be conducted on 40 adolescent girls with symptoms of social anxiety (20 intervention, 20 control). Randomization will be performed using variable blocks with allocation concealment in numbered envelopes, and stratification will be based on age and symptom severity.

This study will be conducted at Nikan Counseling Center in Ahvaz. Participants (40 adolescent girls) will be assigned to two groups after referral by psychologists: an intervention group (receiving 8 sessions of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program) and a control group (waiting list). Assessments and sessions will take place at the same center, adhering to ethical principles.

Inclusion Criteria: 1.Having a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder symptoms based on DSM-5 criteria and confirmed by a psychologist. 2. Female gender and age range of 13 to 18 years. 3. No participation in regular, organized sports programs in the past 6 months. 4. Having written informed consent from parents and the adolescent themselves to participate in the study. Exclusion Criteria: 1.Simultaneous participation in other treatment programs for social anxiety. 2.Missing more than 2 sessions during the intervention period.

1.Intervention Group (Experimental): Receiving the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program in 8 sessions of 90 minutes each (one session per week). 2.Control Group: Receiving no active intervention (waiting list).

Anxiety sensitivity and fear of negative evaluation.

After initial assessment and confirmation of eligibility, participants will be randomly assigned to intervention and control groups using variable block randomization with a 1:1 allocation ratio. The unit of randomization is individual. To enhance group homogeneity, stratified randomization will be performed based on age and symptom severity. The randomization sequence will be generated using statistical software and concealed in opaque, numbered envelopes.

In this study, due to the nature of the intervention (group-based mindfulness training sessions), it is not possible to blind the participants and the therapist. Therefore, only the outcome assessor and the data analyst will be blinded to group allocation. The outcome assessor, who is responsible for data collection and administering the questionnaires at pre-test and post-test stages, will be unaware of the participants' group assignments and will work only with individual codes. Additionally, the data analyst will receive the data without knowledge of group allocation, and the decoding of groups will be performed only after the final analysis is completed. The principal investigator, therapist, and participants are aware of the group allocation, and this has been explained to the participants during the informed consent process.