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A small circumstances of shy teen may actually have social phobia , according to a raw national study of adolescents .
Social phobia , a persistent , debilitating fear of situation that could necessitate scrutiny and sound judgement , is a pretty controversial diagnosis in baby and teens , with critics arguing that the diagnosis turns normal shyness into a medical condition . But the new inquiry finds that teens who meet the criteria for societal phobia are also more potential to struggle with economic crisis , anxiety , substance disorders and other problems . That determination advise that social phobia is a serious conditionbeyond even shyness , the researchers report Monday ( Oct. 17 ) in the diary Pediatrics .
Some teens are simply shy, while others have a social phobia, researchers are finding.
To reveal the overlap betweenshyness and social phobia , the investigator drew from a nationwide representative survey of 10,123 American teenagers and 6,483 of their parent . In face - to - face sessions , the teenagers answered questions about their floor of shyness , anxiety and ethical drug medication use . The teens were also evaluated for social phobia .
Parents were more likely to rate their teen as shy than the teens themselves , with 62.4 pct of parent saying their teens were unsure while only 46.7 percent of teen described themselves that way . Of the educatee who called themselves shy , 12.4 percent really met the criteria to be name with societal phobia . Of the teens described as diffident by their parents , 10.6 percent fill the touchstone for social phobia . [ Top 10 Controversial Psychiatric Disorders ]
Of teens not identify as diffident , about 5 pct met the social phobia criterion .
The final result paint a picture that " social phobia is not simply shyness , " the researchers wrote . " In contrast to the gamey relative frequency of shyness observed among U.S. stripling , social phobia affected a minority of youth . "
More tellingly , the investigator account , teenagers who adjoin the criterion for social phobia describe more societal struggle and more additional psychological disorderliness than the teens who weresimply shy . Despite these troubles , the socially phobic teen were no more likely than their counterpart to be taking medication .
The logical implication , the researchers write , is that societal phobia should be taken seriously in young people .
" Although many adolescents with social phobia exhibit pronounced disablement , outcome suggest that few ever attempt or find professional avail , " the researchers save . " pertinacious claim that dispute the severity of this condition among youth belike will do small to alter their form . "
