Aim and Background: Previous studies have shown that individuals with hearing impairments suffer from anxiety disorders such as social phobia. The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of social skills training on the treatment of social phobia in individuals with hearing impairment. Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental study was performed with a pretest-posttest design and control group. From among all 8-18 year-old male students with hearing impairment in Arak, Iran, 22 who obtained the highest scores in the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) were selected. The participants were matched according to age and intelligence, and then, randomly assigned to an experimental and control group. The experimental group received social skills training 2 sessions per week for 2 months. To analyze data, independent t-test and ANCOVA were applied. Findings: The experimental group obtained better results in pretest and follow-up (P < 0.001) in comparison to the control group. The results showed that social skills training had a significant impact on reduction of social phobia in these individuals. Conclusions: It can be concluded that social skills training is an effective intervention method in decreasing social phobia in individuals with hearing impairment.
