Literature Review : Social Anxiety Disorder

There are many adolescences that suffer from anxiety that interferes with them performing in the school setting, and often affects their behavior and grades. One of these anxiety disorders is social anxiety disorder, which is “characterized by significant discomfort and avoidance of social or performance situations” (Ryan & Warner, 2012, p. 105). Studies have found that “recent estimates indicate that 6% of children and 12.1% of adolescents meet criteria for this diagnosis” (Ryan & Warner, 2012, p. 105). Sara is a 13-year-old female suffering from anxiety symptoms. Sara attends middle school in Broward county and is a client in the COMPASS program at school. She has presented with symptoms of anxiety when in the school setting and in other social environments, resulting in her referral to the program for continuous skipping of classes and failing grades. Sara received individual counseling at school and now at the Boys & Girls club with the goal of reducing her social anxiety symptoms at school and in other social settings. The underlying question this researcher seeks to answer is what impact does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) have on helping adolescents to decrease anxiety?

The diagnosis of social phobia has seen substantial changes in the last 25 years, from its first appearance in the DSM-III published in 1980 to the DSM-IV. In DSM-III, phobic disorders and anxiety states were regarded as two types of anxiety disorders, and social phobia was considered a phobic disorder. What do you think of when you hear the words Social Anxiety? Is it a mental illness or is it just a phobia? While there are many feelings tied with social anxiety, social anxiety is a mental illness that people go through in their lives. From personally struggling with this I have always wanted to know what are the causes and how can I deal with this issue. I decided this would be a great topic to do my future research paper on. While researching information I came across a source I believe will help me write my paper. I found this source by using the Tacoma Community College library search. I then typed ‘Social Anxiety Disorders’and found the article “Social Anxiety Disorder: Questions for the DSM-V. The article ‘Social Anxiety Disorder: Questions for the DSM-V by Susan M. Bögels is a credible source based on the author’s educational background, other pieces of work from the author, and a distinguished publishing company.

Social anxiety disorder (SAD), also know as social phobia, affects between 1.6% and 4.0% of children. Like other anxiety disorders, girls are more likely to be diagnosed with SAD than boys (Chavira & Stein, 2002). The defining features of SAD are excessive self-consciousness that is more than just common shyness. Individuals with SAD fear social or performance situations where they may face scrutiny or humiliation. The two subtypes of SAD are generalized and non-generalized. Approximately 75% of individuals with SAD experience the generalized type, which is characterized by experiencing distress in almost all social situations. Non-generalized SAD is characterized by experiencing anxiety in only one or two types of interpersonal situations, like public speaking. Generalized social anxiety disorder has high comorbidity with major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobias, and ADHD. Non-generalized SAD however has low comorbidity with other disorders. Children with selective mutism have a significantly high comorbidity rate with SAD, about 97% to 100% (Chavira & Stein, 2005).

Social anxiety is “a fear of humiliation or of being judged by others, and an avoidance of social situations where attention centers on the individual” (Martis). According to the Social Anxiety Institute, social anxiety has become the third largest psychological disorder, following depression and alcoholism (Richards). Commonly, victims of this social phobia have problems pursuing social environments, interactions, and relationships (“Social Anxiety Disorder”). The failure to fulfill daily requirements in jobs, social settings, and relationships often leaves them feeling “powerless, alone, or even ashamed” (“Social Anxiety Disorder”). Today in America,“15 million [people] suffer[from] the disorder” (“Social Anxiety Disorder”). Of the 15 million American adults affected, women and men are equally prone to develop the phobia (“Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)”). Currently, the prevalence rate for acquiring social anxiety disorder is “13-14% of all Americans” and continues to rise (Richards). As the number of people affected by social anxiety continues to rise, the understanding of social anxiety’s causes, effects, and treatments is crucial.

Anxiety is one of the most well-known disorders across the globe, but it comes in many different forms effecting numerous types of people. Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), also known as social phobia, is one of the main run-offs of anxiety that exists in the world today. It is absolutely normal to feel a little nervous or anxious before trying something new; however, Social Anxiety impels the individual diagnosed to feel distress and agitation in most, if not all, social situations that they partake in because they are afraid of the possible embarrassment that may come from it (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013).

The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines anxiety as “a nervous disorder marked by a feeling of uneasiness”. An anxiety disorder involves an excessive or inappropriate state of arousal characterized by feelings of apprehension, uncertainty, or fear. There are seven common types of anxiety disorders. They include generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder,

Social anxiety disorder (SAD), also known as social phobia, is the most common mental illness in the United States. About 40 million people suffer from this mental disorder. Many tend to confuse this disorder with shyness and nervousness, which are not considered a part of the phobia. Having a SAD can interfere with one’s daily life cycle. People who have SAD often starts to develop this illness during their childhood and adolescence years. Patients are affected with this mental illness for many years before being diagnosed. Past experiences in a person 's childhood can form and shape their lives so that they may end up having social anxiety disorder. Some past experiences like bullying, depression and low self esteem can lead to the fear of socially interacting or communicating with other people.

Social anxiety disorder, otherwise known as social phobia, is characterized as the excessive fear of social situations. Social situations can include anything from group conversations, talking to a person of authority or giving presentations (Kase, 2010). It is normal for the average person to feel mildly anxious in these types of situations, however, when this anxiety causes extreme distress it is known as a social phobia (missing Citation). Individuals that suffer from social phobia often express having a chronic fear of being watched. They frequently report experiencing a fear that someone is judging them, and they often think about the potential of doing something that could embarrass them. A lot of the time, these people struggle

Anxiety disorders come in several varieties. I will go over the most common ones here. These are social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and panic disorder.

Social Phobia, also called social anxiety disorder (SAD), is one of the most common, but misconstrued mental health problems in society. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), over 15 million adults suffer from the disorder. First appearing in the DSM-III as Social Phobia, and later in the DSM-IV as Social Anxiety Disorder, this newly established disorder denotes afflicting stress and anxiety associated with social situations (Zakri 677). According to James W. Jefferson, two forms of Social phobia exist: specific and generalized. Specific social phobia indicates anxiety limited to few performance situations, while generalized indicates anxiety in all social situations (Jefferson). Many people often interchangeably link this disorder to shyness––a personality trait. However, although they have striking similarities, the two are divergent. To begin with, SAD has an extensive etiology ranging from multiple factors. Furthermore, symptoms of various aspects accompany SAD. Moreover, SAD has detrimental impacts affecting quality of life. Lastly, SAD has numerous methods of treatment. Social Phobia is prevalent in both women and men beginning at the onset of puberty (ADAA).

Social anxiety is a debilitating disorder that often leads to significant social impairment, but impairment can transfer over to other domains of a person’s life (Ranta et al., 2007). That is, social anxiety to can lead to being socially incompetent and this can affect a persons work, education, and quality of relationships as well. Adolescents are especially susceptible to social anxiety because it is a developmental time when peer evaluation and social acceptance is very important; putting too much

Social anxiety is a phobia of interaction amongst others that triggers self-consciousness, fears of being judged, embarrassment, humiliation, depression, and leads to avoidance of social interaction. This disorder is one of the most common disorders that effects millions of people worldwide (Richards, 2012). According to Richards (2012), epidemiological studies marked this disorder to be the third largest in the United States. Tagging right behind depression and substance abuse. He also discloses that 7% of the population has suffered from this phobia at least once in their life. However, there is a specific social anxiety that effects everyone which is the fear of making speeches. Whereas, social anxiety disorder is when an individual is nervous and uncomfortable in all social interactions. The symptoms of social anxiety are being introduced to others, being judged, bringing attention onto themselves, being watched by others when preforming a task, meeting important people, being around strangers, having to say something in front of people, and interpersonal relationships (Richards, 2012). Indeed, adults suffer from social anxiety in certain situations, however, it can affect child also. In regards to child anxiety, Albano (2014) reveals that children suffering from social anxiety is known as the “silent disorder”. Why she addresses it as the silent disorder is because children with this disorder are experiencing it for years until it is noticed and diagnosed. Reasons why it goes unnoticed is because parents

Numerous researches have done on psychological disorders, Social Anxiety Disorder, as one of the most common disorders has been studied and analyzed for plenty of decades. Social Anxiety Disorder is defined as “excessive anxiety on exposure to potential scrutiny or evaluation by others” (Joy Albuquerque MD, FRCP; and Dorian Deshauer MD, FRCP,2002, p.87). It is considered part of the Axis of Anxiety Disorder and is also known as “Social Phobia”. Furthermore, it has been found in studies that Social Anxiety Disorder is the third most common psychiatric illness right after Alcohol Dependence and Depression

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), also sometimes referred to as Social Phobia, is described by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) as the “extreme fear of being scrutinized and judged by others in social or performance situations” (2016). The third most diagnosed mental disorder (Social Anxiety Disorder, 2016) social anxiety disorder is believed to affect nearly 15 million adults in the United States (Understanding the Facts: Social Anxiety Disorder, 2016) and is a growing concern in today’s ever more socially connected world.

Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) can be described as an extreme, persistent fear of being scrutinized or judged by others in social situations. This fear may lead to feelings of embarrassment, humiliation and self-consciousness. People who suffer from this condition may “feel powerless against their anxiety” (ADAA). These emotions often interfere with daily activities, such as school, work and personal relationships. The person might begin to withdraw socially or avoid situations in which he or she is afraid. Millions of Americans endure this devastating condition every day of their lives. There are several causes, symptoms and treatments.