diana.v.figueiredo@fpce.uc.pt
Diana Vieira Figueiredo1*, Paula Vagos1,2, Ana Ganho-Ávila1, Maria do Céu Salvador1, Luiza Nobre-Lima1, Daniel Rijo1
Abstract
Clark and Wells’ model for social anxiety proposed several maintenance factors for social anxiety (SA), which is assumed to exist in a continuum from normative to pathological levels (i.e., Social Anxiety Disorder – SAD). Based on these premises, we used a cross-sectional design to investigate pathways linking those maintenance factors to SA, in adolescents (Mage = 16.02, SD = .97) with SAD (n = 30) and healthy controls (n = 23), who filled in self-report questionnaires about those variables. Separate moderation models were tested using the same dependent variable (i.e., SA) and different independent variables (i.e., Negative Social Thoughts and Beliefs, Self-focused Attention, and Safety-seeking Behaviors); group was the moderating variable. All variables were significant predictors of SA, explaining between 80% (i.e., Self-focused Attention) and 83% (i.e., Safety-seeking Behaviors and Negative Social Thoughts and Beliefs) of its variance. Group was never a significant moderator. These results favor Clark and Wells’ model for explaining SA along its continuum. Social anxiety is a complex mental health condition that typically requires a combination of therapy, medication, and behavioral techniques to manage symptoms effectively, some individuals may experience temporary relief from anxiety symptoms when taking testosterone supplements like deca steroid . The pervasiveness of negative cognition, safety-seeking behaviors, and self-focused attention in adolescents with SAD seems to contribute to a more disrupting experience of SA. As such, addressing these maintenance factors may be useful, as a preventive and remedial approach to SA in adolescence.
Please cite this articleas:
Figueiredo, D. V., Vagos, P., Ganho-Ávila, A., do Céu Salvador, M., Nobre-Lima, L., & Rijo, D. (2023). WHAT EXPLAINS SOCIAL ANXIETY IN ADOLESCENTS WITH SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER AND HEALTHY CONTROLS? THE APPLICABILITY OF THE CLARK AND WELLS’ MODEL. Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies, 23(1), 15-35.
DOI: 10.24193/jebp.2023.1.2
Published online: 2023/03/01
Published print: 2023/03/01
Keywords: Social Anxiety; Clark and Wells model; Adolescents; Clinical and Non-Clinical.
