SHORT STATURE, GROWTH-HORMONE DEFICIENCY, AND SOCIAL ANXIETY

Objective: We have reported high rates of social phobia in growth horm one-deficient (GHD) adults who had been treated with growth hormone du ring childhood. This follow-up study was conducted to determine whethe r the increased social phobia observed in GHD subjects was secondary t o the effects of short stature, Methods: Twenty-one age- and sex-match ed non-GHD short adults were evaluated for social anxiety and compared with the previously studied 21 GHD subjects. Results: Thirty-eight pe r cent (8 of 21) of GHD and 10% (2 of 21) of short subjects met DSM-II I-R criteria for social phobia. GHD subjects scored significantly high er than short subjects on the following self-report questionnaires: Fe ar of Negative Evaluation (p = .03), Fear questionnaire (p = .01), Soc ial Avoidance and Distress Scale (p = .01), Beck Depression Inventory (p = .007), and the Tridimensional Personality questionnaire-harm avoi dance subscale (p = .0004). Conclusions: These data suggest that the h igh prevalence of social phobia in GHD adults is not explained by shor t stature alone.