Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety (social anxiety disorder or social phobia) is a mental illness in which a person has a fear of or worry concerning social situations that doesn’t go away. This anxiety may be accompanied by mutism (the inability or unwillingness to speak in certain situations).

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) - Social Phobia

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) or social phobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme fear in getting involved in social situations. This fear causes considerable distress and disability functions in one’s daily life activities. The fear comes from perceived or actual scrutiny from others.

When to Get Help for Social Anxiety

Social Anxiety Disorder History

Treatment Options for Social Anxiety

Social Anxiety - Common Causes

How is Social Anxiety Diagnosed?

Social Anxiety Epidemiology

Social Anxiety in Children

Self-Help for Social Anxiety

Signs and Symptoms of Social Anxiety

Neural Mechanisms of Social Anxiety Disorder

Latest Social Anxiety Disorder News and Research

Research reveals important brain mechanisms for action of psychotherapy in panic disorder

A new investigation published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics disclosed important brain mechanisms for the action of psychotherapy in panic disorder.

1 May 2019

Social anxiety disorder may have a direct effect on alcoholism

New research published in Depression and Anxiety indicates that, unlike other anxiety disorders, social anxiety disorder may have a direct effect on alcoholism.

6 Mar 2019

New method to assess effectiveness of psychotherapies for social anxiety disorder

The effectiveness of psychotherapies for social anxiety disorder (SAD) is typically evaluated using self- and clinician-reported symptom change, while biomarkers of treatment response are rarely measured.

20 Feb 2019

Interweaving anxiety disorder associated with stuttering remains unrecognized

While stuttering impacts the lives of approximately 1-2 percent of adults and around 4-5 percent of children, the mental health impact of this disorder largely remains unrecognized.

23 Oct 2018

Study evaluates overlap in risk factors for substance initiation and SUD

Not all individuals who initiate use of a substance such as nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine eventually develop a substance use disorder, indicating that the risk factors for substance use and for substance use disorder differ to some extent.

8 Aug 2018

Compassion meditation training may increase brain’s resilience to suffering of other people

It can be distressing to witness the pain of family, friends or even strangers going through a hard time. But what if, just like strengthening a muscle or learning a new hobby, we could train ourselves to be more compassionate and calm in the face of others' suffering?

23 May 2018

Moderate facebook use linked to happiness among adults with ASD

Among adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a new study has shown that those who use Facebook, in moderation, are happier than those who do not.

13 Mar 2018

International consortium proposes new approach to diagnosing mental illnesses

A consortium of psychiatrists and psychologists from universities around the world, co-led by Stony Brook University, University of Minnesota and University of Notre Dame researchers, has proposed a new approach to diagnosing mental disorders.

25 Mar 2017

Study finds new drug treatment to be safe and well-tolerated in pediatric patients with anxiety

A pilot study of guanfacine, a controlled-release alpha2-agonist, in children and adolescents with general, separation-related, and social anxiety disorder showed the drug to be safe and well-tolerated and provided preliminary evidence of its potential effectiveness.

1 Mar 2017

Psychotherapy normalizes brain changes linked to social anxiety disorder

Anxiety in social situations is not a rare problem: Around one in ten people are affected by social anxiety disorder during their lifetime. Social anxiety disorder is diagnosed if fears and anxiety in social situations significantly impair everyday life and cause intense suffering.

6 Feb 2017

Researchers find effective cure for social anxiety disorders

Social phobia is the most common anxiety disorder of our time. But the current treatment regimen for patients with this diagnosis has not proven very effective. Now a team of Norwegian and British researchers believe they have found a cure for social anxiety disorders.

21 Dec 2016

Increased sensitivity to uncertain threat common to several anxiety disorders

Several anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and specific phobias, share a common underlying trait: increased sensitivity to uncertain threat, or fear of the unknown, report researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

18 Nov 2016

Study examines effects of internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for social anxiety

In the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics a study analyzes the effects of internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for social anxiety.

20 Oct 2016

Researchers find common brain abnormalities shared across multiple emotional disorders

Researchers have long known that emotional disorders have a lot in common. Many often occur together, like depression and social anxiety disorder. Treatments also tend to work across multiple disorders, suggesting shared underlying elements.

28 Sep 2016

New study pinpoints individual neurons in the brain that support observational learning

Picture a little boy imitating his father shaving in the mirror or a little girl wobbling proudly in her mother's high heels.

9 Sep 2016

Study evaluates effectiveness of psychotherapy in SAD patients who fail to respond to antidepressants

A randomized controlled study has evaluated the role of psychotherapy in patients whose social anxiety did not respond to drug treatment.

27 Jul 2016

Study explores role of genetic and environmental factors in development of social anxiety

Genes play a crucial role over time although environmental factors matter most in the short term, according to a major study into social anxiety and avoidant personality disorders from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

21 Jan 2016

Bionomics’ BNC210 Phase 1 trial for anxiety and depression meets primary endpoint

Bionomics Limited, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative therapeutics for the treatment of diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) and cancer, today reported positive data from the completed Phase 1 multiple ascending dose, placebo controlled clinical trial of BNC210, an orally administered negative allosteric modulator of the alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (alpha-7 receptor) being developed for the treatment of anxiety and depression.

16 Sep 2015

Going to bed late evenings linked to repetitive negative thoughts

When you go to bed, and how long you sleep at a time, might actually make it difficult for you to stop worrying. So say Jacob Nota and Meredith Coles of Binghamton University in the US, who found that people who sleep for shorter periods of time and go to bed very late at night are often overwhelmed with more negative thoughts than those who keep more regular sleeping hours.

5 Dec 2014

Bipolar remission influenced by anxiety and OCD

Anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder may reduce the likelihood of achieving remission for patients with bipolar disorder, study findings indicate.

29 May 2014