Adolescent Social Anxiety Research Articles

Differences in Parent and Child Report on the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related EmotionalDisorders (SCARED): Implications for Investigations of Social Anxiety in Adolescents.

Social anxiety typically emerges by adolescence and is one of the most common anxiety disorders. Many clinicians and researchers utilize the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) to quantify anxiety symptoms, including social anxiety, throughout childhood and adolescence. The SCARED can be administered to both children and their parents, though reports from each informant tend to only moderately correlate. Here, we investigated parent-child concordance on the SCARED in a sample of adolescents (N = 360, Mage = 13.2) using a multi-trait multi-method (MTMM) model. Next, in a selected sample of the adolescents, we explored relations among child report, parent report, and latent social anxiety scores with two laboratory tasks known to elicit signs of social anxiety in the presence of unfamiliar peers: a speech task and a "Get to Know You" task. Findings reveal differences in variance of the SCARED accounted for by parent and child report. Parent report of social anxiety is a better predictor of anxiety signs elicited by a structured speech task, whereas child report of social anxiety is a better predictor of anxiety signs during the naturalistic conversation with unfamiliar peers. Moreover, while latent social anxiety scores predict both observed anxiety measures, parent report more closely resembles latent scores in relation to the speech task, whereas child report functions more similarly to latent scores in relation to the peer conversation. Thus, while latent scores relate to either observed anxiety measure, parent and child report on the SCARED each provide valuable information that differentially relate to naturalistic social anxiety-related behaviors.

A confirmatory factor analysis of social anxiety scale for adolescence in Indonesian form

Social anxiety in adolescence can interfere with the development process. Detecting of social anxiety is very important to preventive strategy. Purpose of this study is knowing fit criteria of the SAS-A in the Indonesian version. SAS-A in Indonesian version is tool to detect social anxiety in Indonesian adolescence. This study used quantitative research. Total of participants is 172 with 74 male and 98 female. Data collected by excel in google form and was analysis using the CFA approach. CFA is used for evaluation and constructs validation of SAS-A in Indonesian version using Amos 20. The Results of this study is SAS-A in Indonesian version after being analysis factor confirmatory, it known that fit of 11 item and 7 item have been removed because it is not fit to measure construct factor. These findings suggest that the Indonesia version of the SAS-A is a developmentally appropriate instrument that can be used to examine adolescent social anxiety development. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed

Paternal and Maternal Harsh Parenting and Chinese Adolescents' Social Anxiety: The Different Mediating Roles of Attachment Insecurity With Fathers and Mothers.

Although negative parenting and attachment insecurity have been demonstrated to place children at risk for social anxiety, the different roles of fathers and mothers in this association need to be further clarified. This study examined the different mediating roles of attachment insecurity with fathers and mothers in the association between harsh parenting and social anxiety among Chinese adolescents. A sample of 395 students in the sixth through eighth grades with their parents was enlisted as participants of this survey from two public middle schools located in Northern China. Parents were required to report on their harsh parenting, and students were asked to report on their social anxiety and perceived attachment insecurity with both parents. The results demonstrated that both paternal harsh parenting and maternal harsh parenting were positively associated with attachment insecurity with both parents. More importantly, we found that attachment insecurity with mothers partially mediated the association between maternal harsh parenting and adolescent social anxiety but completely mediated the relation of paternal harsh parenting to adolescent social anxiety. These results expanded extant understandings on the associations among harsh parenting, attachment insecurity, and child social anxiety by taking the different roles of both parents into consideration.

Social anxiety disorder and emotion regulation problems in adolescents

BackgroundSocial anxiety disorder (SAD) in adolescents may be associated with the use of maladaptive emotion regulation (ER) strategies. The present study examined the use of maladaptive and adaptive ER strategies in adolescents with SAD.Methods30 adolescents with SAD (CLIN) and 36 healthy adolescents for the control group (CON) aged between 11 and 16 years were assessed with the standardized questionnaires PHOKI (Phobiefragebogen für Kinder und Jugendliche) for self-reported fears as well as FEEL-KJ (Fragebogen zur Erhebung der Emotionsregulation bei Kindern und Jugendlichen) for different emotion regulation strategies.ResultsCompared to controls, adolescents with SAD used adaptive ER strategies significantly less often, but made use of maladaptive ER strategies significantly more often. There was a significant positive correlation between maladaptive ER and social anxiety in adolescents. Examining group differences of single ER strategy use, the CLIN and CON differed significantly in the use of the adaptive ER strategy reappraisal with CLIN reporting less use of reappraisal than CON. Group differences regarding the maladaptive ER strategies withdrawal and rumination, as well as the adaptive ER strategy problem-solving were found present, with CLIN reporting more use of withdrawal and rumination and less use of problem-solving than CON.ConclusionsPromoting adaptive emotion regulation should be a central component of psychotherapy (cognitive behavioral therapy-CBT) for social anxiety in adolescents from the beginning of the therapy process. These findings provide rationale for special therapy programs concentrating on the establishment of different adaptive ER strategies (including reappraisal). As an increased use of maladaptive ER may be associated with SAD in adolescents, it may be paramount to focus on reduction of maladaptive ER (for example withdrawal and rumination) from the beginning of the psychotherapy process. Incorporating more ER components into psychotherapy (CBT) could increase the treatment efficacy. Further investigations of the patterns of emotion regulation in specific anxiety groups like SAD in adolescents is needed to continue to optimize the psychotherapy (CBT) concept.

Psychometric Properties of the Emotion Reactivity Scale in Community Screening Assessments

Among individuals experiencing internalizing psychopathology, high levels of emotion reactivity—the degree to which they experience emotions strongly or intensely, over extended periods of time, and as elicited by a variety of stimuli—increase risk for self-injurious thoughts and behaviors. Researchers developed the Emotion Reactivity Scale (ERS) to assess emotion reactivity, with psychometric support for the measure largely restricted to at-risk clinical populations. We know little of the psychometric properties of the ERS when administered as a screening measure in community assessments. In a study of the psychometric properties of the ERS in a non-clinical assessment of adults, we recruited 105 participants (Mage = 44.6; 82.9% female) as part of a larger study of adolescent social anxiety and family relationships. Participants completed the ERS, self-report measures of various psychosocial domains, and an impromptu speech task, before and during which they self-reported their arousal. Scores taken from the ERS demonstrated strong internal consistency and demonstrated facets of validity: (a) positive relations with measures of internalizing psychopathology and parent-adolescent conflict, and negative relations with a measure of quality of life (convergent validity); (b) relations with self-reported anxiety and safety-seeking behaviors, over-and-above self-reported depressive symptoms (incremental validity); and (c) relation with self-reported state arousal during the impromptu speech task, over-and-above self-reported arousal at baseline (criterion-related validity). These findings support the psychometric properties of the ERS when administered in non-clinic assessments of adults. As such, they have important implications for screening assessments designed to identify adults who display the potential for self-injurious thoughts and behaviors.

Implications of interparental conflict for adolescents' peer relationships: A longitudinal pathway through threat appraisals and social anxiety symptoms.

The goal of this study was to broaden the developmental understanding of the implications of interparental conflict (IPC) and threat appraisals of conflict for adolescents' relationships with peers. Guided by the cognitive contextual framework and evolutionary perspectives, we evaluated a developmental model in which adolescents who are exposed to IPC perceive these conflicts as threatening to their well-being or that of their family. In turn, threat appraisals of IPC increase risk that adolescents experience worries and fears about the peer context (i.e., social anxiety), leading to decreased support from friends and increased feelings of loneliness and engagement with antisocial peers. Autoregressive analyses were conducted with a sample of 768 two-parent families across four measurement occasions. Exposure to IPC was related to increases in youths' perceived threat, which increased their risk for social anxiety symptoms. Consistent with our hypothesis, heightened social anxiety symptoms undermined youths' subsequent functioning in the peer context. Specifically, youth with greater adolescent social anxiety symptoms experienced increased feelings of loneliness and decreased perceptions of friendship support. Significant indirect effects were substantiated for adolescent loneliness and friendship support. Findings did not vary as a function of adolescent gender. The findings highlight the enduring implications of IPC and threat appraisals of IPC for youths' functioning, which can be expanded beyond broad measures of youth psychopathology, and the critical role of social anxiety symptoms as an explanatory mechanism in this process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Parenting practices and adolescent social anxiety: A direct or indirect relationship?

Background/ObjectivesAccording to existing evidence, parental educational practices and social anxiety are to some degree connected. However, the possibility that this relationship is an indirect one and is mediated by individual factors such as self-esteem or emotional regulation has not yet been explored. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the relationship between maternal and paternal educational practices and social anxiety, and test both the direct and the indirect pathways. Method: The representative sample consisted of 2,060 Andalusian students (47.7% girls, Mage=14.34) who filled in various self-reports. Results: The structural equation models confirmed that a direct relationship, with a low effect size, exists between parental educational practices and social anxiety and that there is also an indirect relationship, mediated by negative self-esteem and emotional suppression (the emotional regulation strategy), which accounted here for 49.1% of the variance in social anxiety. Conclusions: Parental education practices seem to act as a family asset which either promotes or hinders the development of basic attitudes and competencies such as self-esteem or emotional regulation and, by doing this, either encourages or prevents the emergence of problems such as social anxiety.

Connecting Childhood Wariness to Adolescent Social Anxiety through the Brain and Peer Experiences.

Wariness in early childhood manifests as shy, inhibited behavior in novel social situations and is associated with increased risk for developing social anxiety. In youth with childhood wariness, exposure to a potent social stressor, such as peer victimization, may potentiate brain-based sensitivity to unpredictable social contexts, thereby increasing risk for developing social anxiety. To test brain-based associations between early childhood wariness, self-reported peer victimization, and current social anxiety symptoms, we quantified neural responses to different social contexts in low- and high-victimized pre-adolescents with varying levels of early childhood wariness. Measures of early childhood wariness were obtained annually from ages 2-to-7-years. At age 11, participants were characterized as having low (N = 20) or high (N = 27) peer victimization. To index their neural responses to peer evaluation, participants completed an fMRI-based Virtual School paradigm (Jarcho et al. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 13, 21-31, 2013a). In highly victimized, relative to low-victimized participants, wariness was differentially related to right amygdala response based on the valence and predictability of peer evaluation. More specifically, in highly victimized participants, wariness was associated with greater right amygdala response to unpredictably positive peer evaluation. Effects of wariness were not observed in participants who reported low levels of victimization. Moreover, in victimized participants, high wariness and right amygdala response to unpredictably positive peer evaluation was associated with more severe social anxiety symptoms. Results can be interpreted using a diathesis-stress model, which suggests that neural response to unexpectedly positive social feedback is a mechanism by which exposure to peer victimization potentiates the risk for developing social anxiety in individuals exhibiting high levels of early childhood wariness.

Pupil dilation to emotional expressions in adolescent social anxiety disorder is related to treatment outcome

Atypical attention to potential social threats, such as emotional faces, may be one of the core mechanisms underlying social anxiety disorder (SAD). Pupil dilation is an index of locus coreuleus-noradrenergic activity, and closely linked to attention. In the present study, pupil dilation was studied in adolescents with SAD (N = 26; 22 Female) before the onset of a 12-week cognitive behavioral treatment, and in healthy controls (N = 23). Stimuli were faces with angry or happy emotional expressions. Contrary to our hypothesis, the SAD group did not show hyper-responsiveness to angry compared to happy faces. Instead, an atypical time course of the pupil dilation response was found, resulting in an attenuated response during late time stages. Larger pupil dilation amplitude to happy faces before treatment was related to worse treatment response. These results contribute significantly to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying adolescent SAD.

More anxious or more shy? Examining the social anxiety levels of adolescents with primary enuresis nocturna: a controlled study

Enuresis nocturna (EN) is very common worldwide, and psychiatric disorders are 1.3-4.5 times higher in children with EN. When the authors focus on symptoms of individuals with EN, they figured out that the individuals were impaired in social and emotional skills because of the dramatic consequences of EN. The authors presume that, despite a lack of psychiatric comorbidity, primary enuresis nocturna (PEN) itself and its consequences may increase adolescents' social anxiety (SA), leading to adulthood mental diseases. In this study, the authors aimed to investigate the presence of SA of adolescents with monosymptomatic PEN without any psychiatric comorbidity by comparing them with their healthy peers. The study was composed of 56 children who applied to pediatric nephrology outpatient clinic and were diagnosed with monosymptomatic PEN and 42 healthy controls. The psychiatric diagnoses were made by a child psychiatrist, with the help of a semistructured interview (Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version, K-SADS-PL), and patients were required to fill out the Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Disorders, Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A), and Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) scales with the help of a clinical psychologist. The physical examination made by a pediatric nephrologist and dysfunctional voiding and incontinence scoring system questionnaire were used to evaluate the voiding dysfunction in children. There was nosignificant difference in the total depression and anxiety scores between the groups (p>0.05). There was a significant difference between the two groups in the subscale of SA (t=2.67 p=0.009) (Table). Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (p<0.001)and subscales of SAS-A (Fear of Negative Evaluation [p<0.001], General Social Avoidance and Distress [p=0.003], Social Avoidance and Distress in New Situations [p<0.001]) scores were significantly higher in the patient group. The authors want to emphasize the comorbid SA of adolescents diagnosed with PEN. This anxiety may disturb adolescents' health in two ways: first, with the help of direct consequences of the SA and second, being late for seeking help for the EN and possible delay in EN treatments. The main limitation of this study is the assessments of the prior mental status of subjects were made by K-SADS-PL, thus remaining a recall bias. A follow-up study may be more objective. So all adolescents diagnosed with PEN should require a detailed mental examination to prevent further negative consequences and provide more comprehensive treatment. Also, the study needed to be repeated in larger samples, and prospective studies should be designed to enhance authors' understanding.

Transactional Links Between Social Anxiety Symptoms and Parenting Across Adolescence: Between- and Within-Person Associations.

This 4‐year longitudinal multi‐informant study examined between‐ and within‐person associations between adolescent social anxiety symptoms and parenting (parental psychological control and autonomy support). A community sample of 819 adolescents (46.1% girls; M ageT1 = 13.4 years) reported annually on social anxiety symptoms and both adolescents and mothers reported on parenting. Between‐person associations suggested that adolescent social anxiety symptoms were associated with higher adolescent‐ and mother‐reported psychological control and lower mother‐reported autonomy support. At the within‐person level, however, mothers reported lower psychological control and higher autonomy support after periods with higher adolescent social anxiety symptoms. Our findings illustrate the importance of distinguishing among between‐person and within‐person associations and including perceptions of both dyad members in longitudinal research concerning parenting and adolescent mental health.

Examining the Relation Between Adolescent Social Anxiety and Positive Affect Regulation: Self-Report vs. Observation.

Social anxiety symptomatology is associated with disruptions in positive affect, though no study has examined deficits in responses to positive affect related to adolescent social anxiety symptoms. The present study tested whether adolescents' self-reported and observed social anxiety symptoms were uniquely associated with specific responses to positive affect. Moreover, we examined whether adolescent gender moderated these relations. Ninety adolescents (ages 11 to 18, Mage = 14.26, SD = 2.03; girls = 62%; white = 79%) completed self-report measures, participated in a social stressor task, and engaged in two positively-valenced interaction tasks with their female caregivers. Adolescent self-reported social anxiety symptoms were not uniquely associated with responses to positive affect. However, observed social anxiety symptoms were uniquely related to greater self-reported inhibiting positive affect responses and fewer observed positive affect maximizing behaviors. These findings highlight the need to examine self-reported and observed social anxiety symptoms in understanding associated disruptions in positive affect regulation.

A Psychometric Evaluation of the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents in an Educational Setting

Social anxiety in adolescents oftentimes goes undetected because of the internalized nature of the disorder as well as adolescents’ reluctance to discuss their mental health. A reliable and valid self-report measure for assessing symptoms of social anxiety in adolescents for use in an educational setting is particularly important because of the burden that social anxiety can have in educational settings. This study aimed to test the previously proposed two-factor structure of the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SASA), Apprehension and Fear of Negative Evaluation and Tension and Inhibition in Social Contact, in an adolescent sample ( n = 215; 12-18 years; 90 female) in Ireland using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). CFA validated the two-factor structure of the SASA previously found in Slovenian- and Spanish-speaking samples. Correlations with other measures of social anxiety also showed good validity for the SASA.

The mediating and moderating roles of social anxiety and relatedness need satisfaction on the relationship between shyness and problematic mobile phone use among adolescents

Shyness has been reported to be closely associated with problematic mobile phone use, yet the underlying mechanism which may mediate or moderate this relationship remains obscure. Based on the cognitive-behavioral model of pathological internet use, combined with the theory of compensatory internet use and self-determination theory, the current study aimed to examine the association between shyness and problematic mobile phone use and the mediating role of social anxiety, as well as the moderating role of relatedness need satisfaction perceived on the mobile phone. A sample of 1050 Chinese adolescents recruited from middle schools completed the questionnaires. Mediation analysis revealed that social anxiety could partially mediate the relationship between shyness and problematic mobile phone use. Furthermore, moderated mediation analysis indicated that shyness could exacerbate problematic mobile phone use through social anxiety for adolescents with a higher level of relatedness need satisfaction from the mobile phone compared to a lower level of need satisfaction. Overall, these findings advance the understanding of how and when shyness leads to problematic mobile phone use. Implications for research on mobile phone use are discussed.

Assessment of comorbidity and social anxiety in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: The SELFIE study

IntroductionAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its comorbidities have an impact on the social anxiety of children and adolescents, but there are practically no studies addressing this topic in adolescence. Our objective was to assess the degree of social anxiety and to analyse the presence of psychiatric comorbidities (PSCs) in adolescents with ADHD. MethodologyWe conducted a cross-sectional observational study in patients aged 12–18 years with a confirmed diagnosis of ADHD (DSM-5). We collected data on the presence and type of PSCs and assessed social anxiety by means of the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A). ResultsForty-six child and adolescent psychiatrists and paediatric neurologists participated in the study and recruited 234 patients. Of the total patients, 68.8% (159) were male and 31.2% (72) female, with a mean age in the sample of 14.9 years (95% CI, 14.6–15.1). The type of ADHD was combined type (C) in 51.7% (121), predominantly inattentive (PI) in 37.2% (87), and predominantly hyperactive-impulsive (PH) in 9% (21). Of all patients, 97.9% (229) received pharmacological therapy: 78.6% (184) methylphenidate, 15% (35) lisdexamfetamine and 4.3% (10) atomoxetine.We found PSCs in 50.4% of the patients (118), of which the most frequent were learning and communication disorders (20.1%, n=47) and anxiety disorders (19.2%, n=45). The patients scored significantly higher in the SAS-A compared to reference values in the healthy population. The scores in the SAS-A were less favourable in adolescents with the PI type compared to those with the PH type (P=.015). The presence of a comorbid anxiety disorder was associated with worst scores in SAS-A (P<.001) showing an increased social anxiety. ConclusionAdolescents with ADHD classified as PI and those with comorbid anxiety had a higher degree of social anxiety as measured by the SAS-A. This psychological aspect must be identified and controlled in adolescents with ADHD to promote their social adaptation.

The use of improvisational theater training to reduce social anxiety in adolescents

Adolescents who have Social Anxiety Disorder do not receive the support they need. Improvisational theater involves regular exposure to social performance situations, and is recognized as a potential psycho-social support to enhance well-being and symptom reduction. The current study examines whether participating in a school-based improvisational theater program predicts reductions in symptoms of social anxiety. A total of 268 middle and high school students who participated in a ten-week school-based improvisational theater program completed surveys in a single group pre/post design. Adolescents who screened positive for social phobia at the beginning of class reported reduced symptoms of social anxiety at post-test. This change predicts increases in social skills, hope, creative self-efficacy, comfort performing for others, and willingness to make mistakes, along with marginal decreases in symptoms of depression. Given that no prior study has examined school-based improvisational theater training and its relationship to social anxiety, this work offers an important early contribution to the empirical literature on improvisation and mental health. School-based improvisational theater training offers an accessible, non-clinical alternative for addressing social anxiety problems among adolescents.

Social anxiety and self-compassion in adolescents

IntroductionSocial anxiety disorder is a prevalent mental illness with a young onset age. Preliminary evidence suggested that low self-compassion may contribute to adult social anxiety, but research with youth has lagged far behind. This study investigated the relationship between selfcompassion and social anxiety in adolescents. It also examined the mediating role of three cognitive mechanisms: fear of negative evaluation, self-focused attention, and cognitive avoidance. MethodsA total of 316 adolescents (age 14-18, 54% male) recruited in Scotland, UK, completed 7 questionnaires. ResultsSelf-compassion was inversely correlated with social anxiety with a large effect size (r = -.551). This was partially mediated by fear of negative evaluation and cognitive avoidance, but not self-focused attention. Selfcompassion also predicted social anxiety above depression and anxiety symptoms. ConclusionsOur findings suggested that self-compassion could be an important factor in the development of social anxiety, and hence therapeutic techniques targeting self-compassion could potentially be beneficial in preventing or treating adolescent social anxiety.

The Effect of Perfectionistic Self-Presentation on Social Anxiety of Adolescents: Moderated Mediation of Self-Compassion on Rumination

The Effect of Perfectionistic Self-Presentation on Social Anxiety of Adolescents: Moderated Mediation of Self-Compassion on Rumination

Longitudinal Links Between Adolescent Social Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms: Testing the Mediational Effects of Cybervictimization

This study focuses on the temporal sequence between social anxiety and depressive symptoms, and whether cybervictimization might mediate these links. We used a longitudinal sample of 501 early adolescents (51.9% girls; Mage = 13.96) followed at three time points. Using a cross-lagged path model in MPlus, we found that social anxiety predicted depressive symptoms over time, but not the other way around. Time-1 depressive symptoms also predicted cybervictimization, but only for boys and not for girls. No mediating effects of cybervictimization emerged; however, Time-2 social anxiety was a significant mediator between Time-1 social anxiety and depressive symptoms, whereas Time-2 depressive symptoms significantly mediated the link between Time-1 social anxiety and Time-3 depressive symptoms. In sum, social anxiety was a strong predictor of depressive symptoms over time but not vice versa—irrespective of cybervictimization.

Commentary: Forgetting the best when predicting the worst: preliminary observations on neural circuit function in adolescent social anxiety.

Fil: Fernandez, Rodrigo Sebastian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiologia, Biologia Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiologia, Biologia Molecular y Neurociencias; Argentina