The development and clinical impact of social anxiety disorder in children and adolescents
Book Chapter
Puliafico, AC, Detweiler, M, Comer, J et al. (2025). The development and clinical impact of social anxiety disorder in children and adolescents
. 215-254. 10.1016/B978-0-443-14146-1.00013-9
Puliafico, AC, Detweiler, M, Comer, J et al. (2025). The development and clinical impact of social anxiety disorder in children and adolescents
. 215-254. 10.1016/B978-0-443-14146-1.00013-9
The experience of social anxiety is normative for youth, with short-term periods often associated with circumscribed events and the increasing awareness of the social world that develops with age. In contrast to normative experiences of this type of anxiety, for up to 9% of children and adolescents, social anxiety disorder (SAD) is defined as excessive and unrelenting fear and avoidance of social and/or interpersonal performance situations. SAD is associated with chronic impairment in social, academic, and occupational functioning and serves as a risk factor for depression, substance abuse, and suicidality. Research spanning the last half-decade has markedly enhanced our understanding of SAD in youth and its treatment. This chapter (1) describes the phenomenology and course of SAD in children and adolescents, (2) reviews factors linked to the development and maintenance of SAD in youth, (3) outlines existing theoretical models of pediatric SAD, and (4) discusses evidence-based treatment approaches for SAD in youth.
