Social anxiety is a common issue in the general population, leading to substantial challenges in social interaction. Although cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has shown promise in treating social anxiety in people who are not psychotic, there is a dearth of randomized controlled trials examining the clinical efficacy of CBT for treating social anxiety. A comprehensive systematic review was conducted to summarize and evaluate the available research on the effectiveness of CBT interventions aimed at reducing social anxiety in the adult population. Three databases have been used, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Wiley’s Online Library with data restrictions from 2012-2022. The search limits were randomized controlled trials and English language only. The electronic search terms, including (social phobia OR social anxiety OR social anxiety disorder) AND (Cognitive Therapy OR Cognitive Behavioral Therapy OR CBT) AND (Randomized Controlled Trial), has been used. PRISMA guidelines have been used to select nine studies in the review to assess the efficacy of CBT for social anxiety in randomized controlled trials. Preliminary findings suggested that CBT is effective in managing symptoms of social anxiety. Future studies should include more databases to come up with multiple studies for the systematic review. The intervention model of Heimberg should be used to treat social anxiety in the adult population.

Index Terms- Social anxiety, randomized controlled trial, cognitive behavioral therapy, adults