anxiety Flashcards
SAD - DSM-5 criteria
- fear of social or performance situations - embarrassment
- exposure to fear = anxiety
- recognise fear is unreasonable/excessive
- feared situations are avoided or endured with intense anxiety/stress
- avoidance or anticipation interferes with life
- lasts 6 plus months
- not due to substances, general medical conditions or other mental disorders
genetic factors
- social anxiety runs in families
- appx 30% heritable - varies
- polygenic - many genes each contributing small effect
environmental factors
- support for direct environmental transmission e.g. verbal information and vicarious learning
- non-shared environmental factors share a greater role than genetic factors
Etiological Model of social anxiety model
- explains how high levels of social anxiety emerge through early development
- exists along continuum
> high levels of social anxiety impacting life leads to diagnosis
> gender, age and culture impact likelihood of diagnosis
> genetic, proximal (COGNITIVE/BEHAVIOURAL) and environmental factors all go on to determine whether a child expresses social anxiety
- these factors interact in ways that can increases child SAD
etiological model: genes/temperament
- behaviour inhibition and withdrawal
- emotional and attentional regulation to threat
etiological model: proximal factors
behavioural: poor social skills, poor social performance, safety behaviours (protect themselves - but make it work)
cognitive: beliefs/biases and cognitive processes
e.g. HOSTILE ATTRIBUTION BIAS
etiological model: environmental factors
- parent influences
- peer influences
- aversive social outcomes
- negative life events
- culture
equifinality
different pathways and combinations of factors can result in SAD
multifinality
any one risk factor can lead to multiple outcome, not just SAD
reciprocal risk factor
social anxiety in young people influences probability of experiencing a risk factor, which in turn magnifies young person’s risk for SAD
e.g. fearful when young = protective parents = social withdrawal
aversive social experiences
- excessive teasing
-criticism - bullying
- victimisation
- rejection
- ridicule
- humiliation
- exclusion
- goes on to maintain SAD
aversive social outcomes
- fewer friends
- lower quality friendships
- less liked and accepted
- more negative interactions
- more likely to be rejected, neglected and victimised
- affiliate less with peer crowds
- less socially skills
- aversive social outcomes are a risk factor as well as a consequence
why do socially anxious young people have aversive social outcomes
poorer performance on social tasks >
adverse social outcomes/less positive response from peers >
heightened anxiety/fear of future negative outcomes>
avoidance of future social situations>
reduced opportunity to acquire social skills
Blote et al impact of social anxiety on the way peers judge them
- 20 high anxiety and 20 low anxiety
- pre recorded a speech to be played to an audience of 500 peers of same age
- rated on rejection, attractiveness, performance
- 3 adult judges also rated social skills
- HSA = more rejection, performance lower, less attractive
direct correlation between social anxiety and peer rejection
at least partially explained by lower attractiveness and poorer social performance
peer influences on SAD
- socially anxious = more likely to experience peer victimisation
- direct causal role for victimisation in increasing future risk of social anxiety
- victimisation not jsut a consequence but a risk factor
