Social Anxiety Presentation Review

Social Anxiety - Definition

• Intense fear of being judged or humiliated by others.

• Spotlight Effect - Teens feel as if they’re always being watched by others.

• Occurs mostly in adolescents as they find their identity and personality during this stage.

Physical, Emotional, and Behavioral Symptoms

• Physical symptoms: Sweating, Trembling, Rapid Heart Rate

• Emotional symptoms: Worry, Fear of Humiliation, Self-Criticism

• Behavioral symptoms: Limited exposure to social situations, weak relations with peers.

Consequences

• Low GPA from lack of academic involvement due to social fears.

• Higher risk of being bullied or judged by others.

• Misunderstood by others as rude or inconsiderate.

Schreiber & Hodson - Negative Thoughts & Self-Focused Attention

Teens with SAD are stuck in an internal loop and are too hyper-focused on themselves to realize what’s going on in their surroundings, often missing important things.

Ingul et al. - Landmark Randomized Controlled Trial

• Compares Individual Cognitive Therapy with Group Therapy and Placebo to determine which is most effective in treating SAD.

• Found that ICT has a larger and superior effect than the other therapies since individual attention helps address fears best.

• Group therapy can often trigger the very symptoms of SAD that therapists try to treat.

Statistics on SAD & Teens

• 1 in 3 children teens met the criteria for SAD diagnosis; girls twice as likely as boys.

• Only about 13% of teenagers receive treatment for SAD, although many are willing to accept treatment if offered.