Introduction to Special Issue on Social Phobia in Children

Social phobia (or social anxiety disorder) is characterised by ‘a marked and persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations’ (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). It is one of the most common forms of psychopathology, with a prevalence rate of around 7% in both children and adults (Furmark, 2002; Stein & Stein, 2008). Social phobia typically begins early in life, with approximately half of socially anxious adults reporting onset before the age of 11 (Stein & Stein, 2008). The significant impact of social phobia on the lives of children is increasingly recognised. For example, socially anxious children are less likely to have close friendships, and more likely to drop out of school early and are less liked by their peers than non-anxious children (La Greca & Lopez, 1998; Stein & Kean, 2000; Verduin & Kendall, 2008). Furthermore, if left untreated, social phobia during childhood increases risk for substance abuse and other mental health problems later in life (Crum & Pratt, 2001; Stein et al., 2001). Despite the prevalence and negative consequences of social phobia in children, understanding of the aetiology of this disorder remains limited. In this special issue, a series of papers are presented that take an experimental approach to further understanding of the pathogenesis of social phobia in children. As the ultimate goal of this experimental research is to contribute to the improvement of treatments for social phobia, the final paper presents a review of treatment research.