Source: RAND Corporation
Compares differences in functioning for patients with one or more anxiety disorders. There were few differences in functioning for patients with only one anxiety disorder. The burden of disability grew as the number of anxiety disorders increased.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9525/
From Docuticker
Shyness and social phobia
A leaflet produced by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and last
updated in May 2008, intended for anyone who finds shyness a problem or
who suffers from a social phobia, and for friends or family of those so
affected. The contents include a description of what a social phobia is
(general and specific phobias), what the condition feels like
(including the symptoms of anxiety), panic attacks, self-perception,
incidence, causes and mechanisms that perpetuate the condition,
complications, self help, psychological treatments including cognitive
behavioural therapy, medication, effectiveness of treatments, sources
of further information, and contact details of self-help groups.
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinformation/mentalhealthproblems/anxietypho
Schizophrenia - key facts
An abridged patient information leaflet on the key facts about
schizophrenia, published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in May
2008. The contents include a description of what schizophrenia is, its
causes, symptoms, pharmacological and psychological treatment, and
social support.
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinformation/mentalhealthproblems/schizophre
Intute.ac.uk
Parent-Reported
Sleep Problems During Development and Self-reported Anxiety/Depression,
Attention Problems, and Aggressive Behavior Later in Life
Source: Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
Sleep problems are risk indicators of later emotional difficulties in childhood and adolescence and in adulthood, as well as across these developmental periods. Although most research, to date, has focused on symptoms of insomnia in association with emotional difficulties, there is emerging evidence that other sleep and sleep-related problems (referred to herein as sleep problems) may also be linked to subsequent difficulties that are not only emotional but also behavioral. Indeed, results of one study demonstrated that a composite of different sleep problems predicted symptoms of anxiety and depression, attention problems, and aggression later in life. For knowledge concerning links between sleep problems and later emotional and behavioral difficulties to be maximally beneficial to the physician, clarification of which particular sleep problems are associated with later difficulties is paramount. Toward this aim, this article documents associations between parental perceptions of 6 aspects of sleep (examined during development) and subsequent self-reported emotional and behavioral difficulties in a representative sample of 2076 participants from Zuid-Holland. This study is novel in allowing comparison of different types of sleep problems as predictors of different types of later behavioral and emotional problems. Based on previous research, associations between different aspects of sleep and different types of emotional and behavioral problems were expected, but hypotheses concerning specific patterns of association were considered premature.
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Social Anxiety Disorder Prevents Millions of Americans from Having Fulfilling Relationships
Source: Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA)
Social anxiety disorder can wreak havoc on the social and romantic lives of the 15 million American adults who suffer from the disorder, leaving them isolated, ashamed and in some cases, misdiagnosed, according to a new survey commissioned by the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) and conducted by Harris Interactive. One of the most troubling findings is that 36% of people with the disorder, which is also known as social phobia, report experiencing symptoms for 10 or more years before seeking help.
…
Social anxiety disorder, or SAD, is an intense, persistent fear of being scrutinized and negatively evaluated by others in social or performance situations. SAD can cause people to avoid such situations or other people for fear of humiliating or embarrassing themselves. People with social anxiety disorder have excessive, irrational fear of seemingly routine situations, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
+ Survey results (PDF; 52 KB)
Hat tip: PW
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The Role of Social Anxiety in Volunteering
Source: Nonprofit Management and Leadership (via ScholarlyCommons@Penn)
The volunteer management literature suggests that the most effective means of recruitment is personal asking. However, agencies that apply this method do not report the expected success in volunteer recruitment. Often they face the volunteer recruitment fallacy: those people assumed to be interested in volunteering do not necessarily volunteer. Based on the literature of shyness or social anxiety and on empirical observations, this article suggests that social anxiety often deters volunteering by new recruits. We hypothesize that people with greater levels of social anxiety will be less likely to volunteer. Furthermore, we hypothesize that people with high social anxiety will prefer to give monetary support to worthy causes rather than volunteer their time, and if they do choose to volunteer, they will do so alongside friends. Our hypotheses are supported based on the findings from a large-scale nonrandom sample in North America. We suggest how to avoid the volunteer recruitment fallacy by creating a personal environment in which high-social-anxiety recruits feel safe and accepted. By removing the fear of being negatively judged by strangers as they enter the agency and creating a more personal approach, new recruits may have a higher probability of becoming long-term and consistent volunteers.
+ Full Paper (PDF; 124 KB)
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