Problem 4: Social anxiety Flashcards
what is the Clark and Wells model of SAD
exposure alone is not enough to heal SAD, they mainly focus on what happens during and after social encounters.
social situation –> activates assumptions –> perceived social danger –> processing of self as a social object (self conscious) –> safety behaviours + somatic and cognitive symptoms
explain Rapee and Heimberg’s cognitive behavioural model of SAD:
-SAD is continuum
what influences the interpretations of social situations as threatening? according to Rapee and Heimberg
-inherited tendencies
-parent behaviours
-peer experiences
-life events
-culture
–> the longer the duration and exposure –> the higher your risk at anxiety
similarities between the models:
- attention goes toward threat
-maladaptive safety behaviours
-dysfunctional cognitions
-both think that social skills may be intact
differences between the models:
-in clark and wells safety behaviours are the core problem, in the Rapee and heimberg not
-in clark and wells, attention is inward on how they feel, in rapee and heimberg attention is both inwards and outwards
typical cognitive biases in SAD:
-negative interpretation bias
-selective attention bias (focus on negative stimuli compared to neutral)
-unconscious selective bias: pre-consciously attending to danger
-post-event processing and memory: focus on performance after situations
-implicit associations (association between social cues and bodily sensations with negative outcome)
behavioural issues in SAD
-interpersonal distance and personal space (more space)
-behavioural mimicry (mimic less and do not notice when others mimic them )
-social skills deficits: skill acquisition, social performance, fluency
-avoidance and anxious behaviour
how can you treat sad with exposure therapy
-by direct and indirect engagement with feared stimulus, a context in which negative beliefs can be disconfirmed
criticism: long term effects?
other treatment approaches:
- cognitive structuring, effective
-CBT, group more effective, medication did not help
-relaxation techniques (how to cope with somatic symptoms)
-mindfulness, good but not as efficient as CBT
-interpersonal psychotherapy
-social skills training
-medication: not that effective, may be used in combination with other treatment
subtypes of SAD
-generalised: any social situation is feared
-non-generalized: fear of specific situations, more related to performance