Social Anxiety Disorder in Children (Social Phobia)
Social anxiety disorder is a common mental health condition. Children with this condition show persistent anxiety and avoidance when interacting with strangers or in unfamiliar social settings.
This behavior significantly affects social relationships, leading to limited interaction and causing distress, discomfort, crying, silence, or withdrawal whenever faced with new environments.
Does your child have the following symptoms?
Children with social anxiety problems are often mistaken by parents and teachers for simply being shy.
However, typical shyness usually only lasts for a short time and does not affect a person's daily life. Social anxiety disorder, on the other hand, can ultimately lead to persistent and exhausting effects.
Feel uncomfortable when talking to teachers or classmates
Avoid eye contact, use soft voice, or mumbling when talking to others
Blush or tremble when surrounded by others
Throw tantrums or cry when surrounded by strangers
Excessive worry about saying or doing the wrong thing in front of others
Frequently complain about having stomach ache or discomfort to not going to school or asking to leave early
Reluctance to go out to participate in activities with others but want to stay at home
The symptoms of social phobia may not appear in all social situations, ; patients may only feel anxious in certain specific situations or circumstances.
If the symptoms persist for a period of time, it is recommended to have an evaluation and confirm with a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist the possibility of social phobia.
-
Evaluated by psychiatrist or clinical psychologist
-
Consult with parents before evaluation
-
Clinical observation of the child's speech, social interaction, communication, and behaviour
-
The evaluation result will be explained to parents and treatment recommendations will be provided to parents
Treatment
The optimal window for treating social anxiety in children is between ages 2 and 6.
Clinical psychologists or psychiatrists may recommend appropriate psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of both.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: Help patients to identify the negative thoughts, reduce anxiety and fear, thus practice socialising and communication skills.
Group Session Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: Allows participants to interact without judgment, receiving honest and unbiased feedback to change their thinking. During the process, patients can also observe and learn how others overcome anxiety in social situations.
Exposure Therapy: Encourage patients to confront the source of their anxiety rather than avoiding them.
Psychotherapy
Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications are used to alleviate feelings of fear or anxiety by increasing serotonin levels in the brain.
Medication