title: The high-novelty-seeking, impulsive subtype of generalized social anxiety disorder.
abstract: This study examined potential subgroups of patients with generalized social anxiety disorder (SAD) based on novelty-seeking tendencies. Eighty-two outpatients with DSM-IV generalized SAD were recruited from an outpatient anxiety clinic and assessed with the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire. The novelty-seeking subscales, reflecting risk-prone and disinhibited behavior tendencies, served as dependent measures in a series of cluster analysis procedures. Two qualitatively different SAD subgroups were identified: (1) low novelty-seeking tendencies and (2) high-novelty-seeking tendencies. These groups did not differ in social anxiety symptom severity. Women were less likely to be classified in the high-novelty-seeking group. Clinician severity ratings for comorbid substance use disorders were greater in the high-novelty-seeking group. These findings contribute to growing evidence for the heterogeneity of SAD. High-novelty-seeking, risk-prone, and disinhibited behavior tendencies are a characteristic feature of a distinct subgroup.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, USA. tkashdan@gmu.edu
authors.forename: Todd B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Kashdan
authors.forename: Stefan G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Hofmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D015897:Comorbidity; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011594:Psychometrics; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology