Most Shy Children Do Not Suffer From Social Phobia

[HuckleB]

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/751789

"...

Debate has recently surfaced over whether the diagnostic term social phobia "medicalizes" normal human shyness, resulting in unnecessary treatment, especially in youth, senior author Kathleen R. Merikangas, PhD, from the National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, told Medscape Medical News.

...

"Social phobia is a very disabling psychiatric disorder. It interferes with a person's social life, their educational activities and success in school, and limits outside activities. Those affected feel uncomfortable to the point where they avoid contact with others or speaking out in class, and this is where we draw the threshold between a normal trait and disorder," said Dr. Merikangas.

...

"If the education system were to recognize it, more teachers may be less harsh in grading kids who don't raise their hand in class, or who don't talk in class. If they are aware of social phobia, they may help them, rather than punish them."

...

"One of the big things about social phobia that we know is it's a gateway disorder. It usually occurs first, and it's a gateway to depression and substance abuse, so it's critical that we get kids help for this and not dismiss it as a normal personality trait," she said."


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Interesting study. Hopefully more studies comparing rates of typical traits versus the disabling disorder will follow.

:hi:

[tabatha]

1. The article cannot be accessed.

However, I was extremely shy in class - and I have never ever had depression or substance abuse. In fact, just the opposite. I avoid anything that is a "substance" and have always been cheerful.

[HuckleB]

2. Social phobia is a risk factor for depression, etc... It doesn't mean everyone develops it.

And, as noted, shyness is considered to be a trait of many of us, but social phobia gets into function issues.

[salvorhardin]

3. It's free registration, but here's the results as reported

The researchers found that almost half of the adolescents (46.7%) rated themselves as shy, and that about 62.4% of parents reported that their teenagers were shy. ...

The study also found that of the children who report themselves as shy, 12% had social phobia, or substantial impairment from their shyness.

In addition, the rate of social phobia increased with the age of the children. For 13-year-olds, the rate was 6.3%; for 15- to 16-year-olds, it was 9.6%; and at age 17 to 18 years, it was 10.4%.