The self-concept of patients with Social Anxiety Disorder: manifestation and change through psychotherapy

Abstract

To determine whether the self-concept of patients with Social Anxiety Disorder deviates significantly from that found in the normative sample, to what extent it changes through psychotherapeutic short-term interventions and how such changes in self-concept relate to changes in the level of social anxiety. The self-concept of N = 86 patients with Social Anxiety Disorder was assessed using the Frankfurter-Selbstkonzeptskalen (FSKN; Deusinger 1986). Patients were treated with a manualized cognitive (CT) or psychodynamic (PDT) short-term intervention. The level of social anxiety was assessed pre-therapy and post-therapy via the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (Stangier & Heidenreich 2004) and the Social Phobia and Anxiety Scale (Fydrich 2002). Patients with Social Anxiety Disorder exhibited a significantly more negative self-concept than the norm (all ps0.001). Their self-concept improved significantly in all facets following psychotherapeutic short-term intervention (all ps0.01). No significant difference was found between cognitive and psychodynamic therapy. Improvements in self-concept correlate with reductions in social anxiety. The results confirm the relevance of self-concept in Social Anxiety Disorder and its susceptibility to short-term-therapy.