A greater understanding of the origins of social phobia is much needed. The research to date is limited by the relatively small number of studies that sample clinical populations of individuals with social phobia. There is, however, research derived from related areas such as shyness, social anxiety, self-consciousness, peer neglect, and social withdrawal that contributes to a richer understanding of the etiology of social fears. Combining these areas of research, this review addresses four main factors that may be important to the origins of social phobia: (a) genetic factors; (b) family factors; (c) other environmental factors; and (d) developmental factors.

Observed 57 children (37 anxiety-disordered and 20 non-clinic-referred children) and their siblings interacting with their parents while completing a complex puzzle task. Consistent with previous findings, mothers were more involved and more intrusive during the task with their anxiety-disordered child than mothers of non-clinic-referred children. Mothers in the clinic-referred group were also significantly more involved and more intrusive during interactions with the anxious child's sibling than mothers of non-clinic-referred children. Although fathers were more involved during the task than mothers overall, no significant differences in overinvolvement were found between fathers of anxiety-disordered children and fathers of non-clinic-referred children. Both mothers and fathers were equally involved with the anxious child and the sibling of the anxious child. Although this study provides support for the association between maternal overinvolvement and the anxiety disorders, it suggests that overinvolvement does not occur exclusively in the context of relationships with the anxiety-disordered child.

No abstract

No abstract

Objectives:The Future Proofing Study (FPS) was established to examine factors associated with the onset and course of mental health conditions during adolescence. This paper describes the design, methods, and baseline characteristics of the FPS cohort. Methods:The FPS is an Australian school-based prospective cohort study with an embedded clusterrandomized controlled trial examining the effects of digital prevention programs on mental health.Data sources include self-report questionnaires, cognitive functioning, linkage to health and education records, and smartphone sensor data. Participants are assessed annually for five years. Results:The baseline cohort (N=6388, M=13.9 years) is broadly representative of the Australian adolescent population. The clinical profile of participants is comparable to other population estimates.Overall, 15.1% of the cohort met the clinical threshold for depression, 18.6% for anxiety, 31.6% for psychological distress, and 4.9% for suicidal ideation. These rates were significantly higher in adolescents who identified as female, gender diverse, sexuality diverse, or Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (all ps<.05). Conclusions:This paper provides current and comprehensive data about the status of adolescent mental health in Australia. The FPS cohort is expected to provide significant insights into the risk, protective, and mediating factors associated with development of mental health conditions during adolescence.