Psychopathology of childhood social phobia

Objective: To describe the clinical syndrome of social phobia in preadolesc ent children. Method: Fifty children with DSM-IV social phobia were assesse d with semistructured diagnostic interviews, self-report instruments, paren tal and teacher ratings, a behavioral assessment, and daily diary recording s. In addition, the behaviors of these children were compared with those of a sample of normal peers. Results: Children with social phobia had a high level of general emotional overresponsiveness, social fear and inhibition, dysphoria, loneliness, and general fearfulness. Sixty percent suffered from a second, concurrent disorder. Socially distressing events occurred quite frequently and were accompanied by maladaptive coping behaviors. In additio n, children with social phobia had significantly poorer social skills. Ther e were few differences based on gender or race. Conclusions: Children with social phobia suffer pervasive and serious functional impairment. In additi on, the clinical presentation suggests specific avenues for psychosocial in terventions.