title: Self-portrayal concerns mediate the relationship between recalled teasing and social anxiety symptoms in adults with anxiety disorders.
abstract: Previous research on individuals with anxiety disorders has demonstrated that both childhood peer maltreatment and concerns about negative self-portrayal are related to elevated symptoms of social anxiety (SA). In the present study, we examined whether concerns about negative self-portrayal might either moderate or mediate the relation between recalled childhood teasing history and current symptoms of SA in a non-treatment-seeking clinical sample of 238 individuals with anxiety disorders. Participants completed the Teasing Questionnaire-Revised (TQ-R), the Negative Self-Portrayal Scale (NSPS), and the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN). Analyses using structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that self-portrayal concerns mediated, but did not moderate, the relationship between recalled teasing and current SA, accounting for 51% of the total effect. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Centre for Mental Health Research, University of Waterloo, Canada. clmerrif@uwaterloo.ca
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Merrifield
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Balk
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Moscovitch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D058445:Bullying / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Childhood peer maltreatment; Self-perception; Social anxiety; Teasing