Related Experiment Videos
Functional impairment in social phobia
F R Schneier1, L R Heckelman, R Garfinkel
1Department of Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York 10032.
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
|August 1, 1994
Summary
Social phobia significantly impairs functioning across life domains. New rating scales effectively measure this functional impairment in individuals with social anxiety disorder.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Mental Health Research
Background:
- Social phobia is a prevalent mental health condition.
- Understanding the extent of functional impairment is crucial for effective treatment.
- Existing measures may not fully capture the scope of disability in social phobia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the nature and extent of functional impairment in individuals with social phobia.
- To evaluate the validity of two novel rating scales designed to assess functional impairment in social phobia.
Main Methods:
- The study involved 32 patients diagnosed with social phobia and 14 healthy controls.
- Functional impairment was assessed using the Disability Profile and the Liebowitz Self-Rated Disability Scale.
- Scale validity was determined through internal consistency, group comparisons, and correlations with established measures.
Main Results:
- Over half of social phobic patients reported moderate to severe functional impairment in various life areas.
- Social phobic patients exhibited significantly greater impairment compared to controls across most assessed domains.
- The new scales demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha .87-.92) and concurrent validity.
Conclusions:
- Social phobia is linked to widespread functional impairment affecting education, employment, and relationships.
- The Disability Profile and Liebowitz Self-Rated Disability Scale are valid and useful tools for assessing functional impairment in social phobia.