This paper describes the phenomenology and cognitive behavioral treatment of social phobia in youth. Although once a neglected disorder, social phobia is receiving increased attention by investigators within the broad fields of clinical psychology, psychiatry, and developmental psychopathology. Most relevant to this paper is the work of clinical scientists who are actively involved in developing empirically valid treatment approaches for children and adolescents with social phobia and related disorders. This chapter describes recent developments in the cognitive-behavioral treatment of social phobia in youth. In particular, I highlight one specific protocol that holds much promise in alleviating this common and serious anxiety disorder of youth. Cognitive-Behavioral Group Treatment (CBGT-A; Albano, Marten, Holt, Heimberg, & Barlow, 1995; Albano, DiBartolo, Heimberg, & Barlow, 1995) is focused on adolescents with the disorder (ages 13-17), is based on cognitive-behavioral principles, and gives unique attention to the cognitive-developmental level of the intended participants.
Cognitive behavioral therapy involves assisting an individual with accessing corrective information regarding threatening situations and stimuli, such that new and appropriate coping skills and strategies may be employed when confronting novel or potentially challenging situations. As such, cognitive behavioral programs for the range of anxiety disorders are focused on intervening within each of the three components of anxiety, the cognitive, somatic, and behavioral components. Through psychoeducation, the child learns corrective information about the nature of his or her social phobia and the mechanisms by which it is maintained. Cognitive restructuring allows the older child and adolescent to identify and challenge anxious and unrealistic thoughts, and replace these thoughts with coping, proactive reasoning. Exposure is the key to effective treatments of anxiety disorders, and this is especially true with social phobia. Systematic within session and in-vivo homework exposure situations are constructed to address each child's individual fears.
Also, specific skills deficits such as conversational and basic social skills, problem solving, and assertiveness skills are taught and reinforced through the exposure process. Finally, relapse prevention methods are utilized to assist the child with maintaining and consolidating their treatment gains. Overall, cognitive behavioral programs allow the child or adolescent to access new and adaptive behaviors for managing their anxiety and daily challenges.
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