Abstract
The authors assessed social-evaluative anxiety in 50 cocaine abusers attending an outpatient therapeutic-community (TC)-oriented clinic. This group-based modality presumes that the ability of clients to self-disclose is key to recovery. Fully half of the clients tested, some of whom had been attending treatment for a number of months, showed an elevation of social withdrawal and distress. Newcomers with higher social anxiety scores were less likely to drop out of treatment over the first 3 months, and self-reported level of social anxiety decreased over this time interval. These findings suggest that social anxiety may be an important consideration in treatment for cocaine abuse and that the rigors of a modified TC with intense focus on group involvement may reduce social anxiety.