Predictors Of Social Anxiety Research Articles

Borderline personality disorder in adolescents as a predictor of social anxiety

IntroductionBorderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental disorder characterized by unstable relationships, a tendency to self–destruction, affective and behavioral dysregulation and BPD are a clinical problemObjectivesEarly detection and timely intervention for BPD is becoming a new public health priority as it helps prevent the adverse personal, social and economic consequences of the disorder. Borderline personality disorder first manifests itself, as a rule, in adolescence, so it is easy to mistake it for manifestations of “difficult age” characteristic of the period of growing up. In this sense, the typical signs of borderline personality disorder are not original: low self-esteem, emotional excitability, impulsive behavior and sudden mood swings, to one degree or another characteristic of all adolescents. An alarming exception is, perhaps, only a tendency to self-harm and, the so-called, desocialization of a teenager, the loss of social skills and connections (for example, friendships). Recently, experts have increasingly mentioned desocialization in connection with the development of Internet technologies and gadgets that replace communication in real life for many teenagersMethodsAn anonymous survey of 57 older teenagers conducted. The degree of borderline personality disorder assessed using IPDE, STAI, and CDI. Statistical processing of the results carried out in Microsoft Excel using measures of the central trend (arithmetic mean, standard deviation) and correlation analysis. The significance of the differences between the groups was determined using the Student’s t-test (p < 0.05)ResultsOn average, the level of BPD among the respondents was at a low level of 9.81 (±4.43) points. The severity of personal anxiety was at a high level of 45.02 (±13.25) points, situational anxiety was also at a high level of 41.14 (±14.93). The severity of depression was above average and amounted to 55.84 (±14.33) pointsConclusionsTeenage girls are more prone to anxiety and depression than boys are. High anxiety causes a tendency to depression, and these two factors affect the occurrence of PRL. The average score does not affect the manifestations of anxiety, depression and the occurrence of BPDDisclosure of InterestNone Declared

Authoritarian Parenting and Social Anxiety: The Moderating Role of Self-esteem, Introversion and Religious Coping

The main objective of the study was to find out the predictive relationship of authoritarian parenting, introversion, self-esteem, and religious coping on social anxiety among adolescents, who were the students in different schools and colleges of Faisalabad and Sargodha, Punjab-Pakistan. Non- random convenient sampling was used to approach the sample and it consists of six hundred participants including 50% boys and 50% girls. Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), Self-esteem Scale, Big Five Personality Inventory-Introversion (BFPI), Parental Authority Questionnaire-Authoritarian subscale (PAQ) and Religiosity Scales for Youth were used as a research instruments. The results showed that social anxiety is significantly positively correlated with introversion authoritarian parenting and religiosity. However, the social anxiety is significantly negatively correlated with self-esteem. Multiple regression analysis showed that self-esteem and authoritarian parenting are predictors of social anxiety among boys while introversion, self-esteem and religious coping worked as a predictor of social anxiety among girls. Moderation analysis indicated that authoritarian parenting predicts social anxiety while introversion, self-esteem and religious coping played a significant role as moderators. So, it is concluded that parenting style is so important for the mental and emotional health and development of an adolescent. Likewise self-esteem, religious orientation and personality traits should be considered while addressing adolescent’s psychological wellbeing. Parenting styles related awareness programs and teachers training should be prioritizing for students, parents and general community.

Role of Mothers’ Expressed Emotions in Psychopathology and Social-Emotional Competence in Adolescents

Objective: To study the role of mothers’ expressed emotions in psychopathology and social-emotional competence in adolescents. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Psychology, University of Gujrat, Gujrat Pakistan, from Jul 2020 to Aug 2021 Methodology: Five hundred mothers and their five hundred adolescents were approached to measure the role of mothers’expressed emotions in psychopathology and social-emotional competence in adolescents. For this purpose, parental Expressed Emotions Scale-1 was used, and to assess the psychopathology and social-emotional competence in adolescents, Social Anxiety Scale-2 and Social-Emotional Competence Scale-3 were used. Results: Artificial neural network (ANN) analysis was used to identify the mothers' expressed emotions as predictors of social anxiety and social-emotional competence in adolescents. Results showed incorrect predictions was for training data (60%) and for testing data (28%), which signify the current results that around 72% of right decision about mothers’ expressed emotions as a predictor of social anxiety and social-emotional competence in adolescents. Conclusion: In the teenage period, youth face an increasing number of psychological, social, and developmental challenges. Mothers are the first teachers of their children. When they fail to support them and display ways of negatively expressing emotions, it leads to overall mental health issues, in which social anxiety is the most common challenge.

Self-compassion and social anxiety: The mediating effect of emotion regulation strategies and the influence of depressed mood.

Self-compassion constitutes a positive way of relating towards the self that enables emotional regulation and reduces emotional distress. This research first explored differences among a sample of persons with social anxiety disorder (SAD) and groups of high socially anxious (HSA) and low socially anxious (LSA) students on self-compassion, emotion regulation, and social anxiety. We then investigated emotional regulation as a mediator of the prediction of social anxiety by self-compassion and the influence of depressed mood on those relationships. Study 1 compared a SAD group to matched groups of HSA and LSA students. Study 2 utilized the total sample (n=330 students and n=33 SAD) to test mediation. Self-compassion and emotion regulation were predictors of social anxiety and depression a covariate. In Study 1, the SAD group did not differ from the HSA group on most aspects of self-compassion and emotional regulation but was higher on depression. Both were lower on most measures and higher on depression than the LSA group. In Study 2, higher self-compassion predicted lower social interaction anxiety, and emotional regulation strategies mediated this effect, regardless of depression. However, for social performance anxiety, controlling for depression removed mediation. Refraining from uncompassionate responses was directly connected to social anxiety, whereas compassionate responses influenced social anxiety via emotional regulation. Results affirm the ameliorative role of self-compassion on social anxiety and emotion regulation strategies as mechanisms of that influence. However, self-compassion's influence was affected by depression and type of social anxiety. Also, refraining from uncompassionate self-responding appears to be of prime importance in predicting social anxiety, whereas compassionate self-responding influences social anxiety via emotion regulation.

Early behavioral and physiological markers of social anxiety in infants with fragile X syndrome

BackgroundSocial anxiety is highly prevalent in neurotypical children and children with fragile X syndrome (FXS). FXS is a genetic syndrome that is characterized by intellectual disability and an increased risk for autism spectrum disorder. If social anxiety is left untreated, negative outcomes are highly prevalent later in life. However, early detection of social anxiety is challenging as symptoms are often subtle or absent very early in life. Given the prevalence and impairment associated with childhood social anxiety, efforts have accelerated to identify risk markers of anxiety. A cluster of early features of anxiety have been identified including elevated behavioral inhibition, attentional biases, and physiological dysregulation that index early emerging markers of social anxiety. Infants with FXS provide a unique opportunity to study the earlier predictors of social anxiety. The current study utilized a multi-method approach to investigate early markers of social anxiety in 12-month-old infants with FXS.MethodParticipants included 32 infants with FXS and 41 low-risk controls, all approximately 12 months old. Parent-reported social behavioral inhibition was recorded from the Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ-R). Direct observations of behavioral inhibition and attention were measured during a stranger approach task with respiratory sinus arrhythmia collected simultaneously.ResultsParent-reported social behavioral inhibition was not significantly different between groups. In contrast, direct observations suggested that infants with FXS displayed elevated behavioral inhibition, increased attention towards the stranger, and a blunted respiratory sinus arrhythmia response.ConclusionsFindings suggest that infants with FXS show both behavioral and physiological markers of social anxiety at 12 months old using a biobehavioral approach with multiple sources of input. Results highlight the importance of a multi-method approach to understanding the complex early emergent characteristics of anxiety in infants with FXS.

Self-compassion and emotional regulation as predictors of social anxiety.

Self-compassion and emotional regulation have been identified as constructive attitudes towards the self which can reduce emotional distress. This study is the first to examine the role of a self-compassionate attitude towards the self in reducing symptoms of social anxiety. The study also explored the role of emotional regulation strategies of cognitive reappraisal (CR) and expressive suppression (ES) as mechanisms that mediate the impact of self-compassion on social anxiety. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was conducted on cross-sectional correlational data with MPlus version 6. A sample of 750 undergraduate students (378 men and 372 women) completed an online survey comprised of well validated self-report measures of social anxiety, emotional regulation and self-compassion. Structural equation modelling showed that self-compassion predicted lower social anxiety directly and indirectly through lower ES. Higher self-compassion also predicted higher CR. Contrary to expectation, CR did not predict lower social anxiety. Exploratory analyses of self-compassion divided into Compassionate Self-responding (CSR) and Refraining from Non-compassionate Responding (RUSR) identified RUSR as a predictor of lower social anxiety directly and indirectly via ES and CR. CSR had no direct effect on social anxiety but did so indirectly via CR. The findings provide preliminary evidence that self-compassion can play an important role in alleviating social anxiety and that emotion regulation through ES and CR are important mechanisms of that influence. Adopting a more compassionate attitude towards the self can reduce the symptoms of social anxiety Emotional regulation through reducing emotional suppression may be a mechanism whereby higher levels of self-compassion reduce symptoms of social anxiety. Although higher levels of self-compassion predict greater use of emotional regulation through cognitive appraisal, cognitive appraisal does not predict levels of symptoms of social anxiety The capacity to refrain from non-compassionate self-responding may reduce symptoms of social anxiety directly and indirectly through lower levels of emotional suppression and greater cognitive reappraisal (CR). However, compassionate self-responding only influences symptoms of social anxiety through CR.

Parental Authority, Introversion, Self-Esteem and Religious Coping Factors as Predictors of Social Anxiety among Adolescents

Parental Authority, Introversion, Self-Esteem and Religious Coping Factors as Predictors of Social Anxiety among Adolescents

The Relationship between Problematic Use of Smartphones and Social Anxiety

This study investigated the smartphone use as the indicators of smartphone addiction and their associations with social anxiety as related variables. Problematic use of smartphones which is well known to be associated with anxiety might act as a common underlying factor explaining social anxiety disorder. This study aims to analyze the associations between mobile phone dependence and social anxiety disorder and to find possible predictors of social anxiety. Methods: Smartphone addiction assessed using the 20-item Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) and Smartphone addiction scale (SAS). Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) was used to determine social anxiety. The correlational analysis used to investigate the relationship between smartphone addiction and social anxiety. Linear regression conducted to calculate the predictors of social anxiety based on smartphone addiction parameters. Results: It is revealed that the level of social anxiety and smartphone addiction scales are positively correlated. Linear regression models for male and female participants showed different predictors of social anxiety. Conclusions: The study provides deeper insights into smartphone use and smartphone addiction as predictors of social anxiety in young people and concluded lesser dependence of males’ social anxiety on smartphone addiction level than the females’.

Workshop: Predictors and developmental timing of mental health problems among sexual minority individuals

Abstract As consistently shown across studies from various parts of the world, sexual minority individuals (e.g., those identifying as lesbian, gay, and bisexual [LGB]) are significantly at a higher risk for depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and behavior when compared to heterosexuals. The increased risk for poor mental health among sexual minority populations is believed to be a consequence of LGB individuals’ increased exposure to specific social stressors related to navigating a stigmatized minority identity. Studies trying to explain health inequalities based on sexual orientation have mainly focused on so-called minority stress processes, such as discrimination, internalized homophobia, expectations of rejection, and stress of concealing one’s sexual orientation. This workshop will give examples of studies from various European countries on mental health predictors and trajectories by using various approaches such as population-based sampling, longitudinal data collection, and comprehensive theoretical frameworks. Dr. Gemma Lewis (University College London, UK) will present results showing that sexual orientation-based disparities in mental health are present already in early adolescence and increase throughout the school years. Arjan van der Star (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden) will present population-based data suggesting that openness about sexual orientation is not directly linked to lower risk of depression among sexual minorities, but is instead dependent on access to social support. Conor Mahon (Dublin City University, Ireland) will present results showing minority stressors as predictors of social anxiety among sexual minority men. Associate professor John Pachankis (Yale University, USA) will present results showing that, in addition to increased exposure to social stressors, barriers to societal integration can partially explain the elevated risk of suicidality among sexual minorities. Key messages Sexual minorities are a higher risk of mental health problems, such as depression, social anxiety, and suicidality, as compared to heterosexuals and these disparities can be identified early in life. Sexual orientation-based mental health disparities seem to be based both on disproportionate stigma-related stress and a higher prevalence of general risk factors for poor mental health.

Depressive State and Social Anxiety in Adolescents: The Role of Family Interactions

Depression and social anxiety in adolescents may be examined based on parental acceptance and rejection. The scale of quality of family interactions, the social anxiety scale and the state depression scale were used. Mothers’ rejection and family satisfaction, rated by adolescents (N = 324), are significant predictors of the depressive state, while satisfaction with family is a significant predictor of social anxiety. The depressive state is a significant mediator between family interactions and social anxiety. The prevention of the depressive state and social anxiety in adolescents should be based on increasing the quality of family interactions.

The Role of Sources of Self-knowledge in Predicting Social Anxiety among Adolescents with Physical-Motor Disabilities

One of the most important psychological conditions influenced by social changes is social anxiety disorder. Lack of balance in the sources of self-knowledge is considered to be a significant factor in development of social anxiety among adolescents with physical-motor disabilities. We aimed in this study to examine the importance of utilizing the sources of self-knowledge by adolescents with physical-motor disabilities and its relationship with social anxiety disorder among this population; therefore, the goal of the present study was to explore the role of sources of selfknowledge in predicting social anxiety among adolescents with by adolescents with physical-motor disabilities. This was a descriptive-correlational study. The statistical population included all middle and high school students with physical-motor disabilities in the school year 2016-2017. All the students in this population (n=126; 68 boys, 58 girls) were selected as the study sample. The Results indicated that Equality of variances (P ≥ 0.05) and normality presumptions were established by the results of Levene's test and Shapiro Wilk test, respectively (P ≥ 0.05), therefore, parametric tests were used, and given that a correlational and prediction design was used, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis using the Enter method, were used to analyze the data. According to Pearson’s correlation results, self-observation, social feedback, and social comparison were positively correlated with social anxiety in adolescents with physical-motor disabilities. In addition, the regression analysis to predict social anxiety based on the sources of self-knowledge indicated that self-observation and social comparison were significant predictors of social anxiety in adolescents with physical-motor disabilities, however, social feedback was not a significant predictor. Identifying the sources of self-knowledge underlying social anxiety is an important approach that can be used by consultants and psychologists trying to improve the mental health of adolescents with physical-motor disabilities.

Neuroticism and perfectionism as predictors of social anxiety

Prior research has demonstrated relationships between neuroticism, perfectionism, and social anxiety. This study examined whether trait perfectionism (particularly socially prescribed perfectionism [SPP]) and perfectionistic self-presentation predicted social interaction and evaluation anxiety while controlling for neuroticism. It also explored which neuroticism facets uniquely predicted social anxiety. Participants (N=271) completed self-report measures assessing: social anxiety, trait perfectionism, perfectionistic self-presentation, and neuroticism.Most notably, results showed that the self-consciousness, vulnerability, and impulsiveness facets of neuroticism uniquely predicted interaction anxiety. Conversely, the self-consciousness, vulnerability, and anxiety facets uniquely predicted evaluation anxiety. Furthermore, while controlling for neuroticism, both SPP and self-oriented perfectionism uniquely predicted evaluation anxiety. Alternatively, nondisplay and nondisclosure of imperfection (but not trait perfectionism) uniquely predicted interaction anxiety. Overall, these findings demonstrate that neuroticism facets and aspects of perfectionism differentially predict social interaction and evaluation anxiety.

Social Anxiety in Adolescents: the Role of Early Negative Memories and Fear of Compassion

Introduction Social anxiety refers to the discomfort felt in situations of social interaction or performance and may be an especially intense emotion in adolescence due to characteristics and developmental tasks of this age group. Although it is a common emotion and has an adaptive function, it can also develop as a negative experience raising serious difficulties in school and social life of young people. Objectives This study analyses the contribution of childhood negative memories and fear of compassion in social anxiety in adolescence. Method Three hundred and twenty adolescents (186 boys and 134 girls) with ages ranging from 12 to 19 years old took part in the study. Participants completed the following self-report measures: Early Life Experiences Scale for Adolescents, Fear of Compassion Scale (FCS-A) and the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A). Results Significant gender differences were found regarding social anxiety, empathy and early unvalued experiences within the family. Age was only correlated with social anxiety. Social anxiety showed a significant and expected correlation with the study variables. The model including fear of compassionate feelings (from other and from oneself) and early unvalued experiences showed to be the best predictor of social anxiety. Conclusions This study integrates the contribution of less explored variables, as the fear of compassion and early negative memories, in the understanding of social anxiety in adolescents. Results suggest that these variables may have an important role and should be incorporated in psychological interventions for social anxiety in adolescence.

The Role of Social Skills in Social Anxiety of University Students

Social anxiety is one of the most frequent mental health problems and there is no consensus regarding the relation between social skills and anxiety. This study aimed to compare the behavioral indicators of social skills presented by university students with social anxiety in relation to a non-clinical group, and to verify the predictive value of the social skills for social anxiety. Participants were 288 university students, 144 with Anxiety Disorder and 144 non-clinical. Social skills were assessed using the QHC-University (Social Skills, Behaviors and Context Assessment Questionnaire for University Students) and the IHS-Del-Prette instruments. Mental health indicators were assessed through screening and diagnostic instruments. Through univariate and multivariate analysis an association was found between social skills and anxiety, highlighting public speaking, potential, difficulties, and the total social skills score as predictors of social anxiety, which contributes to demonstrating the role the resources and difficulties play in this.

Type D Personality Is Associated with Social Anxiety in the General Population

Research on the emotional processes associated with Type D personality is important for its further conceptualization. We examined the associations of Type D personality with social and general anxiety symptoms in a large community sample. The aim of the current study was to disentangle the associations of Type D personality and its components with social anxiety and general anxiety in a large sample from the general population. A random sample of 2,475 adults from the general population filled out questionnaires to assess Type D personality (DS-14), social anxiety (SIAS(10), SPS(11), BFNE-II), and general anxiety (HADS-A, GAD-7). Type D individuals were characterized by increased levels of both social and general anxiety. The social inhibition (SI) component of Type D personality was most strongly associated with social interaction anxiety (r = .63), while negative affectivity (NA) was strongly associated with general anxiety (GAD-7: r = .70; HADS-A: r = .66). Within social anxiety, SI was more strongly associated with facets of social interaction anxiety than with social phobia. Multiple regression analysis showed that the synergistic interaction of NA and SI was a predictor of social anxiety (SIAS(10): β = .32, p < .0005; SPS(11): β = .27, p < .0005; BFNE-II: β = .11, p = .007) independent of demographics and the scores on the individual Type D components. This interaction was not a significant predictor of general anxiety. Logistic regression using the dichotomous Type D classification demonstrated a 9.1-fold (95%CI, 7.0-11.8) increased odds of a score in the highest quartile of social interaction anxiety and a 7.6-fold (95%CI, 5.8-9.8) increased odds of high social phobia. Odds ratios for clinically relevant levels of general anxiety were 8.3 (95%CI, 5.5-12.5) for GAD-7 and 6.5 (95%CI, 3.4-12.6) for HADS-A. In the general population, Type D individuals were characterized by both social and general anxiety. The SI component of Type D is strongly associated with social interaction anxiety and the synergistic interaction of NA and SI was associated with high social anxiety, above and beyond the main NA and SI effects.

The distribution of and relationship between autistic traits and social anxiety in a UK student population

Traits associated with autism and social anxiety were assessed in a UK student population (n = 1325) using the Autism-spectrum Quotient and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale. Clinically relevant levels of autistic traits were observed in 3.3% of the cohort; 10.1% of the cohort reported clinically relevant levels of social anxiety; 1.8% of the cohort met clinically relevant cut-offs for both conditions. There was a significant positive correlation between scores on the two scales (r = .51); students with high levels of autistic traits were more likely to report increased social anxiety than those with average or low levels of autistic traits. Level of social anxiety was best predicted by autistic traits associated with social skill, attention switching and communication, accounting for 33% of the variance in social anxiety scores. Social skill was a better predictor of social anxiety in males than females; attention switching ability was a better predictor of social anxiety in females than males. Students with high levels of autistic traits displayed heightened anxiety to situations and activities necessary for the successful completion of their degree. Implications for student well-being and attainment are discussed.

“It's not just the judgements—It's that I don’t know”: Intolerance of uncertainty as a predictor of social anxiety

Interest in the role of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) – the tendency for a person to consider the possibility of a negative event occurring as unacceptable and threatening irrespective of the probability of its occurrence – in anxiety disorders has been increasing in recent research. IU has been implicated as an important construct associated with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD); however, a growing body of research suggests that levels of IU are also high among individuals with other anxiety disorders. Despite the increasing interest, few studies have examined the relationship between IU and social anxiety (SA). The purpose of the present investigation was to further investigate the relationship between IU and SA. Participants included 286 community members (71% women) from Canada who completed measures of IU, SA, anxiety sensitivity, and fear of negative evaluation (FNE). Regression analyses revealed that the inhibitory anxiety dimension of IU, the fear of socially observable anxiety symptoms dimension of anxiety sensitivity, and the FNE were consistently significant predictors of SA symptoms. Unexpectedly, IU and FNE were often comparable predictors of SA variance. Moreover, participants with SA symptoms consistent with SAD exhibited levels of IU comparable to those reported by participants with worry symptoms consistent with GAD. Comprehensive findings, implications, and directions for future research are discussed.

Predictors of social anxiety in an opioid dependent sample and a control sample

Compared to other mental health problems, social anxiety is under-acknowledged amongst opioid dependent populations. This study aimed to assess levels of social anxiety and identify its predictors in an opioid dependent sample and a matched control group. Opioid dependent participants ( n = 1385) and controls ( n = 417) completed the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) and a diagnostic interview. Regression analyses were used to test a range of predictors of social anxiety. Opioid dependent cases had higher mean scores on both scales compared to controls. Predictors of social anxiety centred on emotional rejection in childhood, either by parents or peers. For opioid dependent cases, but not controls, lifetime non-opioid substance dependence (cannabis, sedatives, and tobacco) was associated with higher levels of social anxiety. However, much of the variance in social anxiety remains unexplained for this population.

Social anxiety and dissociation among male patients with alcohol dependency

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between social anxiety and dissociation among male patients with alcohol dependency. Participants were 176 male patients consecutively admitted to an alcohol dependency treatment unit. The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, the Dissociative Experiences Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Spielberger State and Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test, and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised were administered to all participants. The dissociative ( N = 58, 33.0%) group had significantly higher social anxiety scores than the non-dissociative participants. Patients with a history of suicide attempt or childhood abuse had elevated social anxiety scores compared to those without. In multivariate analysis, dissociative taxon membership predicted both of the two social anxiety subscale scores consisting of fear/anxiety and avoidance in a highly significant level while trait anxiety was a significant covariant for these subscales. Among dissociative symptoms, only depersonalization and amnesia/fugue were predictors of social anxiety. Dissociation and social anxiety are interrelated among alcohol-dependent men. This relationship may have implications for prevention and treatment of alcohol dependency among men with a childhood trauma history in particular.

Predictors of Social Anxiety in Children and Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease

The aim of this study was to examine the potential moderating effect of age on the child-reported pain–social anxiety relationship in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD). Participants were children and adolescents (ages 8–17; 33 girls, 25 boys) diagnosed with SCD who completed measures of social anxiety and severity of usual pain. Caregivers provided demographic information, and mean hemoglobin levels were computed as a measure of objective disease severity. Ratings of more severe pain were associated with greater social anxiety, including fear of negative evaluation, for older children and adolescents only, revealing a moderating effect of age. Increased relevancy of peer relationships in adolescence, limited social contacts due to SCD complications, and misreading of social cues (e.g., maladaptive coping response to pain) may explain why older children and adolescents reported greater social anxiety in the presence of a stressor such as pain.