title: The extent of social anxiety in combination with mental disorders.
abstract: The aim of the study was to investigate the extent of social anxiety in different mental disorders. A total of 341 patients aged 7-18 years participated in the study. To measure social anxiety, the German version (SPAIK) of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C) was used. Subgroups were built dependent on mental disorders. A total score above 20, which was assumed to indicate social anxiety, was observed in children with selective mutism (n = 9; M = 22.68; SD = 11.29) and in children with Asperger's Syndrome (n = 7; M = 20.77; SD = 13.77). Patients who had the following mental disorders also showed a higher total score of social anxiety: obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia nervosa, schizophrenia, depression and conduct disorder. In none of these disorders, however, did the mean total score exceed the cut-off of 20.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, University of Wuerzburg, Fuechsleinstr. 15, 97080, Wuerzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Siebke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Melfsen
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Walitza
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Warnke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009155:Mutism / Q000453:epidemiology; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution