The many faces of social anxiety disorder

Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is one of the most pr evalent anxiety disorders, affecting 7-13% of subjects in the community at same time in their lives. Despite being eminently treatable, it remains lar gely under-recognised and, therefore, undertreated. The disorder is charact erized by a fear of scrutiny by others, with sufferers experiencing excessi ve anxiety in social and performance situations. This excessive anxiety usu ally leads to avoidance behaviour that can severely affect normal daily liv ing. With onset commonly occurring during childhood or adolescence, social anxiety disorder may disrupt normal patterns of development of social and p ersonal relationships, often having a long-term impact on emotional stabili ty in social or working life. If left untreated, the course of social anxie ty disorder is frequently complicated,vith comorbid conditions, particularl y major depression or substance abuse. This review assesses the size of the clinical problem by evaluating current and lifetime prevalence estimates, age of onset, risk factors and evolution of the clinical course; thereby pr oviding the rationale for early recognition and prompt treatment. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 15 (suppl 1):S7-S12 (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.