Social fears and social phobia in a community sample of adolescents and young adults: prevalence, risk factors and co-morbidity.
BACKGROUND
The paper describes prevalence, impairments, patterns of co-morbidity and other correlates of DSM-IV social phobia in adolescents and young adults, separating generalized and non-generalized social phobics.


METHODS
Data are derived from the baseline investigation of the Early Developmental Stages of Psychopathology Study (EDSP), a prospective longitudinal community study of 3021 subjects, aged 14-24. Diagnoses were based on the DSM-IV algorithms of an expanded version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview.


RESULTS
Lifetime prevalence of DSM-IV/CIDI social phobia was 9.5% in females and 4.9% in males, with about one-third being classified as generalized social phobics. Twelve-month prevalence was only slightly lower, indicating considerable persistence. Respondents with generalized social phobia reported an earlier age of onset, higher symptom persistence, more co-morbidity, more severe impairments, higher treatment rates and indicated more frequently a parental history of mental disorders than respondents with non-generalized social phobia.


CONCLUSIONS
History of DSM-IV social phobia was found to be quite prevalent in 14-24 year-olds. The generalized subtype of social phobia was found to have different correlates and to be considerably more persistent, impairing and co-morbid than non-generalized social phobia. Although generalized social phobics are more likely than non-generalized social phobics to receive mental health treatments, the treatment rate in this sample was low despite the fact that mental health services are free in Germany.
Wittchen
H U
HU
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology and Epidemiology, Munich, Germany.
Stein
M B
MB
Kessler
R C
RC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012931:Social Environment