Elsevier

Behavior Therapy

Volume 33, Issue 3, Summer 2002, Pages 427-446
Behavior Therapy

Original Research
Is social anxiety associated with impairment in close relationships? A preliminary investigation*

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(02)80037-5Get rights and content

We examined the association between social anxiety and interpersonal functioning. Unlike prior research, we focused specifically on close relationships, given the growing evidence of dysfunction in these relationships among people with psychopathology. We proposed that social anxiety would be associated with specific interpersonal styles. One hundred sixty-eight young adults with a range of social anxiety symptoms were interviewed regarding symptom severity, interpersonal styles, and chronic interpersonal stress. Results indicated that higher levels of social anxiety were associated with interpersonal styles reflecting less assertion, more conflict avoidance, more avoidance of expressing emotion, and greater interpersonal dependency. Moreover, lack of assertion and overreliance on others mediated the association between social anxiety and interpersonal stress. Associations held controlling for depressive symptoms. Implications of these findings for interpersonally oriented conceptualizations of social anxiety disorder are discussed.

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      Individuals with SAD evidence distress and impairments across a broad range of domains including work, school, family life, and close relationships (Aderka et al., 2012; Alden & Taylor, 2010; Hofmann, 2007). Specifically, individuals with SAD struggle to disclose personal information, report less relationship satisfaction, intimacy, and expression of emotions within relationships, experience greater anxiety during these interactions, report less inclination to engage in future social interactions, and importantly, evoke negative partner reactions which can lead to rejection (Asher & Aderka, 2020; Davila & Beck, 2002; Porter & Chambless, 2014; Sparrevohn & Rapee, 2009; Voncken, Alden, Bogels, & Roelofs, 2008). At its core, social anxiety represents an adaptive emotional response that includes behavior patterns that are advantageous in social interactions (e.g., Brosnan, Tone, & William, 2017; Gilbert, 2001; Gilboa-Schechtman, Shachar, & Helpman, 2014; Tone et al., 2019; Trower & Gilbert, 1989).

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    *

    Portions of these data were presented at the 2001 meeting of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Philadelphia, PA.

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