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Subtypes of social phobia in adolescents
S G Hofmann1, A M Albano, R G Heimberg
1Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, Boston University, Massachusetts 02215-2015, USA. shofmann@bu.edu
Abstract:
Thirty-three social phobic adolescents were asked to name their ten most feared social situations. Two independent judges classified each situation reported by the participants into one of four situational domains: formal speaking/interactions, informal speaking/interactions, observation by others, and assertion. Fifteen participants (45.5%) were assigned a generalized subtype of social phobia because they endorsed at least moderate anxiety in all four situational domains. This subgroup scored higher on self-report measures of anxiety and depression than the rest of the sample. These results provide empirical support for the existence of subtypes of social phobia in adolescents.
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