Related Experiment Videos
Depersonalization and social anxiety
Matthias Michal1, Johannes Kaufhold, Ralph Grabhorn
1Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
|September 1, 2005
Summary
This study found a significant link between depersonalization (DP) and social anxiety. This connection was stronger than general symptom severity in patients and non-patients, suggesting DP warrants further research in anxiety disorders.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Existing literature suggests a link between depersonalization (DP) and anxiety disorders.
- However, the specific association between DP and social anxiety has not been systematically investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the hypothesized connection between depersonalization and social anxiety.
- To determine if this association is independent of general psychopathology.
Main Methods:
- Correlative and regression analyses were employed.
- The study included 116 psychotherapy inpatients, 54 outpatients with epilepsy, and 31 nonpatients.
Main Results:
- A medium to large effect size was found for the connection between DP and social fears.
- This association exceeded the impact of general psychopathology severity in both patient and non-patient groups.
Conclusions:
- The association between social anxiety and depersonalization is significant and warrants further investigation.
- Depersonalization should be considered in clinical and neurobiological research on anxiety disorders, including social phobia.