Effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and virtual reality-based worry exposure therapy on cognitive avoidance and emotional capital in adolescents with social anxiety

This quasi-experimental study investigated the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and virtual reality-based worry exposure therapy (VR-WET) on cognitive avoidance and emotional capital in adolescents with social anxiety. In Ahvaz, Iran, 60 adolescents aged 12–18 years were randomly assigned to MBCT (n = 20), VR-WET (n = 20), or a no-treatment control group (n = 20). The intervention groups received eight weekly sessions. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires and analyzed with repeated measures ANOVA. Both interventions significantly reduced cognitive avoidance (ηp2 = .77) and increased emotional capital (ηp2 = .70) compared to the control group (p < .01), with effects maintained at three-month follow-up. No differences emerged between MBCT and VR-WET. Given the no-treatment control design, caution is warranted in interpreting causal mechanisms.