social phobia (social anxiety) – Flashcards

fear of being the focus of attention or scrutiny (the centre of attention), or of doing something that will be intensely humiliating

A) a marked and persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others. the individual fears that he or she will act in a way (or show anxiety symptoms) that will be humiliating or embarrassing (note: in children, there must be evidence of the capacity for age-appropriate social relationships with familiar people, and the anxiety must occur in peer settings, not only in interactions with adults) B) exposure to the feared social situation almost invariably provokes anxiety, which may take the form of a situationally bound or situationally predisposed panic attack (note: in children, the anxiety may be expressed by crying, tantrums, freezing, or shrinking from social situations with unfamiliar people C) the person recognizes that the fear is excessive or unreasonable (note: in children, this feature may be absent) D)the feared social or performance situations are avoided or else are endured with intense anxiety or distress

that are more likely to be highly emotional, socially fearful and inhibited, sad, and lonely; they are also tense, and withdrawn

it is the most common secondary diagnosis of another anxiety disorder

children who develop this (sever cases) fear most social situations, are afraid to meet or talk with new people, avoid contact with anyone outside their family, and find it extremely difficult to attend school, participate in recreational activities, or socialize

stammering, sweating, upset stomach, rapid heartbeat, or a full-scale panic attack

1-3 %; affecting slightly more girls than boys

2/3s of children and adolescents with a social phobia have another anxiety disorder; most commonly a specific phobia or panic disorder

20% of adolescents with a social phobia suffer from major depression; they may also use alcohol and other drugs as a form of self-medication to reduce their anxiety in social situations

rare in children under the age of 10, and generally develop after puberty (common in early- and mid-adolescence)

they appear to increase with age

the youngster's perception of not being accepted by peers

which children fail to talk in specific social situations, even though they may speak loudly and frequently at home or in other settings

90% of young children with selective mutism meet diagnostic criteria for a social phobia in ways other than their reluctance to speak, and nearly 40% of their parents have also been diagnosed with social phobia during their lifetime

children with selective mutism fail to talk in specific social situations, even though they may speak loudly and frequently at home or in other settings