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

'Presence' of a virtual person can reduce anxiety in women

A lot of people feel less anxious in a frightening situation if they don't have to face it alone. But what if these people suffer from social anxiety - a disorder characterized by fears of embarrassing themselves in social situations?

17 Jan 2022

Moment-to-moment fluctuations in brain activity can reliably predict psychiatric treatment outcomes

It remains a central challenge in psychiatry to reliably judge whether a patient will respond to treatment.

14 Oct 2021

Social anxiety can increase distress related to mask-wearing during and after COVID-19

People who struggle with social anxiety might experience increased distress related to mask-wearing during and even after the COVID-19 pandemic.

21 Jun 2021

High levels of progesterone can reduce stress after concussion, speed recovery in females

Could birth control pills help young female athletes recover faster from concussions and reduce their symptoms?

16 Mar 2021

Antidepressant drug fluvoxamine may prevent some serious complications of COVID-19

In a preliminary study of COVID-19 patients with mild-to-moderate disease who were attempting to recover in their homes, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that the drug fluvoxamine seems to prevent some of the most serious complications of the illness and make hospitalization and the need for supplemental oxygen less likely.

12 Nov 2020

Yoga improves generalized anxiety disorder, study shows

The feelings of fear are normal emotions felt when the brain senses an impending danger or stress. Anxiety is the body's natural response to stress. In some people, however, they experience constant and overwhelming anxiety and fear, impeding their normal activities.

12 Aug 2020

New partnership advances virtual reality for social anxiety disorder

BehaVR, a leading innovator of virtual reality digital wellness and digital therapeutics experiences, today announced that it has begun a new partnership aimed at leveraging virtual reality experiences to address critical unmet needs in social anxiety disorder, an underreported and undertreated mental health condition.

6 Aug 2020

Individuals with social anxiety disorder show large differences in personality traits

Individuals with social anxiety disorder have markedly different personality traits than others. Emotional instability and introversion are hallmarks, according to a new study from Uppsala University published in PLOS ONE.

29 Apr 2020

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