Social Anxiety Disorder In Adolescents Research Articles

Self-Efficacy for Social Situations in Adolescents with Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder

Self-efficacy is a potentially useful concept when applied to Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). The aims of the current study were to examine the psychometric properties of the Self- Efficacy for Social Situations Scale (SESS; Gaudiano and Herbert, 2003) and to investigate the relationship between self-efficacy and anxiety in an adolescent sample with generalized SAD. Results replicated those found in a previous adult SAD sample. The SESS showed high internal consistency and good construct and criterion-related validity. The SESS also predicted subjective anxiety and perceived performance in social role play tests after controlling for social anxiety severity. Furthermore, self-efficacy more clearly predicted self-ratings in contrast to observer ratings of performance in social role play tests. Finally, changes in social self- efficacy were strongly associated with changes in social anxiety symptoms following treatment, even after controlling for changes in fear of negative evaluation. Treatment implications for adolescent SAD are discussed.

The Social Phobia Inventory: Validity and reliability in an adolescent community sample.

Social anxiety disorder and social anxiety are highly prevalent psychological conditions in youth. Because of the known risks associated with the spectrum of social anxiety in youth, early detection with valid and reliable assessment measures is imperative. Self-report measures have become the most widely used method of assessment for child and adolescent social anxiety. Because research to date on self-report measures of social anxiety disorder in adolescents is limited, the primary objective of the present study was to contribute to the literature by examining the validity and reliability of a new self-report measure, the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), in a community sample of adolescents. The SPIN is a 17-item measure purported to assess the full spectrum of social anxiety disorder symptomatology. Previously, psychometric research on the SPIN in adult populations has demonstrated its validity and reliability. In the current psychometric examination, results revealed strong support for the temporal stability, internal consistency, and construct validity of the SPIN, suggesting it is an appropriate screening measure for the assessment of social anxiety disorder in adolescents.

Skills for Social and Academic Success: A School-Based Intervention for Social Anxiety Disorder in Adolescents

This paper describes Skills for Academic and Social Success (SASS), a cognitive-behavioral, school-based intervention for adolescents with social anxiety disorder. Clinic-based treatment studies for socially anxious youth are reviewed, and a strong rationale for transporting empirically-based interventions into schools, such as SASS, is provided. The SASS program consists of 12, 40-min group sessions that emphasize social skills and in-vivo exposure. In addition to group sessions, students are seen individually at least twice and participate in 4 weekend social events with prosocial peers from their high schools. Meetings with teachers provide information about social anxiety and facilitate classroom exposures for socially anxious participants. Parents attend 2 psychoeducational meetings about social anxiety, its treatment, and approaches for managing their child's anxiety. Initial findings regarding the program's effectiveness are presented. We conclude by discussing the challenges involved in implementing treatment protocols in schools and provide suggestions to address these issues.

Knowledge of Social Anxiety Disorder Relative to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Among Educational Professionals

Social anxiety disorder (SAD), the 3rd most common psychiatric disorder in the United States, follows a chronic and unremitting course, often resulting in severe impairments in multiple areas of functioning. Despite a typical age of onset in early adolescence, the disorder is rarely recognized and treated in adolescent populations. Given its early age of onset, school professionals are arguably in the best position to detect symptoms of SAD and to provide appropriate referrals for assessment and intervention. This study examined the knowledge that teachers, school counselors, and school psychologists have of SAD in relation to their knowledge of a prototypical externalizing disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The results suggest that all 3 groups of educational professionals are surprisingly unfamiliar with adolescent SAD.

Cross validation of the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents in a high school sample

Social anxiety disorder in adolescents is increasingly recognized as a common condition that may precede onset of other mental health problems. However, few measures are currently available to screen for adolescent social anxiety, and little is known about their psychometric characteristics in school-based samples. To this end, the present study was undertaken as a psychometric cross validation of the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A). Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) supported the original 3-factor structure of the SAS-A but retained fewer items than in the original scale. The revised scales demonstrated good internal consistency as well as criterion and concurrent validity. Despite including fewer items, psychometric characteristics of the revised scales were equivalent to or stronger than those reported in previous studies of the measure. As such, the present study provides initial support for the utility of the revised SAS-A as a measure of social anxiety in adolescent school samples.

School-Based Behavioral Treatment for Social Anxiety Disorder in Adolescents: Results of a Pilot Study

To provide preliminary estimates of feasibility and effectiveness for school-based behavioral treatment in adolescents with social anxiety disorder. Six adolescents with social anxiety disorder were treated in a 14-session group treatment program conducted at their school. Assessments were conducted at baseline and after treatment. All participants were classified as treatment responders (markedly or moderately improved). Half of the participants did not meet diagnostic criteria for social phobia after treatment. Clinician severity ratings, as measured by the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for Children for DSM-IV: Child Version and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents (LSAS-CA), decreased significantly after intervention, with effect sizes of 2.5 and 1.8, respectively. All LSAS-CA scale scores decreased significantly after treatment. Self-reported social phobia symptoms on the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children were not significantly reduced. Fear and avoidance ratings of the 10 most feared situations significantly decreased after treatment, with effect sizes of 1.5 for anxiety and 2.1 for avoidance. This study provides preliminary support for the promise of school-based behavioral intervention for treating social phobia in adolescents. The school environment may be a rich and innovative setting for implementation of behavioral treatment because this is the setting where adolescents with social phobia endure the most distress.

Social anxiety disorder and the risk of depression: a prospective community study of adolescents and young adults.

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) (also known as "social phobia") is frequently comorbid with major depression, and in such cases, almost always precedes it. This has led to interest in SAD as a possible modifier of the risk and/or course of mood disorders. Data come from a prospective, longitudinal epidemiologic study of adolescents and young adults (aged 14-24 years) in Munich, Germany. Respondent diagnoses (N = 2548) at baseline and follow-up (34-50 months later) are considered. The influence of SAD at baseline on the risk, course, and characteristics of depressive disorders (ie, major depression or dysthymia) at follow-up is examined. The baseline prevalence of SAD was 7.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.1%-8.4%). Social anxiety disorder in nondepressed persons at baseline was associated with an increased likelihood (odds ratio [OR] = 3.5; 95% CI, 2.0-6.0) of depressive disorder onset during the follow-up period. Furthermore, comorbid SAD and depressive disorder at baseline was associated with a worse prognosis (compared with depressive disorder without comorbid SAD at baseline). This is exemplified by the greater likelihood of depressive disorder persistence or recurrence (OR = 2.3; 95% CI, 1.2-4.6) and attempted suicide (OR = 6.1; 95% CI, 1.2-32.2). Social anxiety disorder during adolescence or young adulthood is an important predictor of subsequent depressive disorders. Moreover, the presence of comorbid SAD in adolescents who are already depressed is associated with a more malignant course and character of subsequent depressive illness. These findings may inform targeted intervention efforts.

Social anxiety disorder in childhood and adolescence: current status and future directions.

This paper reviews the current status of research on the phenomenology, etiology, maintenance, assessment, and treatment of childhood and adolescent social anxiety disorder (SAD). Despite being one of the most prevalent disorders of childhood and adolescence, SAD paradoxically stands as one of the least recognized, researched, and treated pediatric disorders. The small treatment outcome literature provides preliminary support to the effectiveness of various forms of cognitive behavior therapy. The majority of studies to date, however, are limited by inadequate control conditions. Other findings include some support for the utility of parental involvement in treatment, significant advancements in outcome measures (e.g., normative comparisons, indices of naturalistic social functioning), and impressive durability of gains for the majority of treatments. Future directions are suggested, including experimental and naturalistic studies of developmental pathways and maintenance factors, the incorporation of "positive psychology" constructs (e.g., positive emotions, hope, self-control) in treatment and prevention, and the continued delineation of differences between child, adolescent, and adult manifestations of SAD.