The high-novelty–seeking, impulsive subtype of generalized social anxiety disorder

Abstract

This study examined potential subgroups of patients with generalized social anxiety disorder (SAD) based on novelty-seeking tendencies. Eighty-two outpatients with DSM-IV generalized SAD were recruited from an outpatient anxiety clinic and assessed with the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire. The novelty-seeking subscales, reflecting risk-prone and disinhibited behavior tendencies, served as dependent measures in a series of cluster analysis procedures. Two qualitatively different SAD subgroups were identified: (1) low novelty-seeking tendencies and (2) high-novelty-seeking tendencies. These groups did not differ in social anxiety symptom severity. Women were less likely to be classified in the high-novelty-seeking group. Clinician severity ratings for comorbid substance use disorders were greater in the high-novelty-seeking group. These findings contribute to growing evidence for the heterogeneity of SAD. High-novelty-seeking, risk-prone, and disinhibited behavior tendencies are a characteristic feature of a distinct subgroup.

Opposing Oxytocin Effects on Intergroup Cooperative Behavior in Intuitive and Reflective Minds

“…However, patients from different clinical groups are characterized by different cognitive styles (eg, reflexive/intuitive vs reflective/ rational). For example, there were high-and low-impulsive subtypes of social anxiety disorder (Kashdan and Hofmann, 2008;Binelli et al, 2014). Bipolar patients were more intuitive than unipolar depressed patients (Liebowitz et al, 1979;Janowsky et al, 1999).…”

“…However, the oxytocin effects observed in healthy or patient populations are often weak and inconsistent, even showing opposite patterns in the literature (Bartz et al, 2011a, b;Bakermans-Kranenburg and van IJzendoorn, 2013). Oxytocin effects are sensitive to contexts and individual differences (Bartz et al, 2011a, b), and patients with social functioning deficits are characterized by different cognitive processing styles (Kashdan and Hofmann, 2008;Binelli et al, 2014). Therefore, understanding how cognitive styles influence oxytocin effects on social functioning is critical for successful clinical translation to be achieved.…”

Inhibited and impulsive subgroups of socially anxious young adults: Their depressive symptoms and life satisfaction

“…Although the majority of socially anxious people fit this description, an unexpected or atypical subgroup has recently been identified. Rather than being inhibited, this subgroup of socially anxious people appear to be impulsive [1][2][3]. What could be the reasons for this atypical pattern of characteristics, and what does it imply for the life experiences and adaptation of socially anxious individuals?…”

“…If this is the case, it could have implications for different forms of adaptation. The implications for external adjustment among socially anxious-impulsive people have been shown for risk-prone behaviors such as unsafe sex and drug use [1][2][3], but internal adjustment might be affected as well.…”

A versão específica da Escala de Medo de Avaliação Negativa – Dimensionalidade e características psicométricas numa amostra de adolescentes

“…O medo de avaliação negativa, como substrato cognitivo, parece estar mais relacionado com a resposta emocional de ansiedade e dificuldades de interação, enquanto que nem todos os sujeitos que têm elevados valores de ansiedade social apresentam, obrigatoriamente, altos valores de evitamento de situações sociais, enquanto resposta comportamental (Beck et al, 1985;Clark, 2005). Pelo contrário, os sujeitos com elevado medo de avaliação negativa e ansiedade em situações sociais, podem apresentar diferentes respostas comportamentais como por exemplo, agressividade e impulsividade (Kashdan & Hofmann, 2008;Kashdan & McKnight, 2010;Kashdan, Collins, & Elhai, 2006), consumo de substâncias (Rapee & Spence, 2004), entre outros comportamentos de segurança.…”