Subtypes of social anxiety in adult and child-adolescent population: Quantitative ver-sus qualitative distinction

Abstract

The social anxiety disorder has been less investigated than other anxiety disorders. There is still very little information in adult population about the differences and similarities between the specific and generalized forms of this disorder, and still less in children and adolescents. For that reason, in the present review principals studies carried in adult and adolescent population about these two forms are described. Also, attempts of some authors to offer a quantitative and/or qualitative distinction of both social anxiety subtypes are analyzed for a better differentiation of them. The conclusions indicate a lazy separation between specific and generalized subtypes of social anxiety. This determine the ne-cessity of more studies that pretend regain the knowledge associated to the definition, etiology, psy-chopathology and treatment of social anxiety and its subtypes.