title: Paranoid Thoughts in Adolescents with Social Anxiety Disorder.
abstract: Recently, social anxiety disorder (SAD) and paranoia have been demonstrated to be closely related. However, data were primarily drawn from adult community samples or patients with schizophrenia. The present study used a cross-sectional design to evaluate a sample of adolescents with SAD (n = 30, mean age 15.3 ± 0.9 years) compared with an age- and sex-matched group of healthy controls (n = 26, mean age 15.9 ± 1.6 years). The SAD group displayed more frequent and intense paranoid thoughts than the control group (t = 4.16, p < 0.001). The level of paranoid thoughts was significantly predicted by the degree of social phobia, even after adjusting for sex and other anxiety disorders, although adjusting for depression slightly reduced the extent and significance of the prediction. A lack of awareness about the association between SAD and paranoia may lead to incorrect diagnoses (e.g. misdiagnosis of psychotic disorders), or it may negatively influence the (psycho)therapeutic process and patient outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, Second University of Naples, via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy. pisano.simone@gmail.com.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pisano
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, Second University of Naples, via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Catone
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, Second University of Naples, via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pascotto
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Hospital ''F. Veneziale'', Isernia, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iuliano
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, Second University of Naples, via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tiano
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Stella Maris, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Milone
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Stella Maris, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Masi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education Science, University Suor Orsola Benincasa of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gritti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010259:Paranoid Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D000072861:Phobia, Social / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013811:Psychotherapeutic Processes; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D013223:Statistics as Topic
keywords: Adolescents; Paranoia; Social anxiety