Social anxiety disorder in review: two decades of progress

Abstract

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is among the most common of all psychiatric disorders. It presents with a lifetime prevalence rate of up to 16 % in the general population and, like other anxiety disorders, is more frequent in women. Patients with SAD suffer from considerable psychiatric comorbidity that is often preceded by social anxiety. Social anxiety affects people early in life and provokes a great deal of impairment and cost, much being related to the under-recognition and\or under-treatment of this disorder, which occurs frequently with GPs and others specialists. There is a clear need among GPs for training and awareness about the existence of this disorder, its assessment, differential diagnosis and available treatments. In this paper we review the development of the concept of SAD and its epidemiology, and discuss the available information regarding cost and how SAD presents in primary-care settings. Potential aetiologies and studies concerning possible neurobiological mechanisms are also reviewed. Pharmacological and psychosocial treatments for SAD are examined and effect sizes calculated for placebo-controlled pharmacological studies of five medication categories.

Quality of Life Perceptions in School-Going Adolescents with Social Anxiety

“…This could be because public school students belong to a lower socioeconomic status, a factor, which has been found to be associated with social anxiety [18,19]. Additionally, in government-run public schools there are limited opportunities for one-on-one mentorship as here not only is the student-to-teacher ratio is …”

The Relationship between Parenting and Internalizing Problems in Childhood

“…Overall, four types of stress factors are likely to be implied in the development, maintenance, and transmission of internalizing symptomatology: genetic/temperamental factors, cognitive factors, family factors, and societal/cultural factors [31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39].…”

Relationships between Social Anxiety and Mental Health Problems in Early Adolescents from Different Socioeconomic Groups: Results from a Cross-sectional Health Survey in Norway

“…The problems include both fear of social interactions and situations where there is an expectation to perform [5]. This was first presented as an independent diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM] -III criteria [6]. Since then, research has increasingly confirmed this condition as a mental disorder.…”

“…In several studies parental role and family structure is mentioned as essential factors for depressive and affective conditions as well as Social Anxiety Disorder [6,[22][23][24]. In children, psychosocial risk factors for the onset of mental distress include parameters often associated with lower SES, such as poor parent-child relationships and parental depression, in addition to economic adversity [15,24].…”