Social Anxiety and Separation Anxiety Disorder

Clinical description of Social Anxiety: Subtype - Performance only

Anxiety only in performance situations (e.g public speaking)

How effective are psychological treatments of social anxiety?

highly effective

Cognitive Behavioral Treatment

Challenging of anxious thoughts about the consequences of social judgment

Exposure to anxiety-provoking situations

Rehearsal

Role-play

Medications

Beta blockers

Benzodiazepines

SSRI (Paxil, Zoloft, and Effexor)

D-cycloserine

Causes of Social Anxiety

Generalized psychological vulnerability

Generalized biological vulnerability

Generalized psychological vulnerability

E.g., belief that threatening events are uncontrollable

Generalized biological vulnerability

E.g., propensity toward anxiety

In Japanese culture, there’s a fear of

offending others or making them uncomfortable

In Japanese culture there’s concern about

aspects of personal appearance (e.g., stuttering, blushing, body odor)

In Japanese culture, social anxiety is more common in

males

Female : Male ratio of social anxiety

1:1

Social anxiety is more common in

people who are young (18 to 29 years), undereducated, single, and of low socioeconomic class

13\.6% prevalence in

ages 18 to 29

6\.6% prevalence in

ages 60+

Clinical description of Social Anxiety: Extreme/irrational concern about

being negatively evaluated by other people

Clinical description of Social Anxiety: Sometimes (not always) manifests as

shyness

Clinical description of Social Anxiety: Leads to significant

impairment and/or distress

Clinical description of Social Anxiety: Avoidance of feared situations, or

endurance with extreme distress

Clinical Description of Separation Anxiety: Characterized by

unrealistic and persistent worry that something will happen to self or loved ones when apart (e.g., kidnapping, accident) as well as anxiety about leaving loved ones

What percent of children meet the criteria for separation anxiety?

4\.1%

What percent of adults meet the criteria for separation anxiety?

6\.6%