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Cited by 79Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentAutism Spectrum Disorder Research

Are Social and Communication Difficulties a Risk Factor for the Development of Social Anxiety?

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Pickard, Hannah, Rijsdijk, Fruhling, Happé, Francesca, Mandy, William·2017·Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
DOI 10.1016/j.jaac.2017.01.007PMC PMC5376399
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Social anxiety (SA) is a common condition associated with social and communication (SC) difficulties in typically developing young people, as well as those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Whether SC difficulties place children at risk for developing SA is unclear. Using a longitudinal design, the present study aimed to disentangle the relationship between SA symptoms and SC difficulties using a population-based sample of 9,491 children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). METHOD: Parent-reported data on SC difficulties and SA symptoms were collected at ages 7, 10, and 13 years. A cross-lagged panel model was used to investigate the longitudinal stability and directional relationship between latent SC difficulties and SA constructs over time. RESULTS: More SC difficulties were associated with greater SA symptoms at all ages. Earlier SC difficulties predicted a small but significant amount of variance in later SA symptoms. The reverse relationship from SA to SC difficulties was not observed. The relationship from SC difficulties to SA was strongest from age 7 to 10 years. No sex differences were observed. CONCLUSION: The evidence suggests that SC difficulties may be an important risk factor for the development of SA. These findings suggest the potential usefulness of incorporating social skills training alongside effective interventions to prevent or alleviate symptoms of SA in childhood.

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  • Emotionally vulnerable adolescents often struggle with anxiety in social situations.

    “This may be the case for emotionally vulnerable adolescents, who often struggle with anxiety in social situations (Nilsen, Karevold, Roysamb, Gustavson, & Mathiesen, 2013; Pickard, Rijsdijk, Happé, & Mandy, 2017).”

    From A cross‐lagged twin study of emotional symptoms, social isolation and peer victimisation from early adolescence to emerging adulthood (2023) · cites this paper as Pickard, Rijsdijk, Happé, & Mandy, 2017

    The Abstract (Results; page unavailable) reports that greater social and communication difficulties were associated with greater social-anxiety symptoms at ages 7, 10, and 13. The paper supports a link between difficulties and social anxiety in young people, but it does not identify the group as “emotionally vulnerable adolescents” or establish how often that group experiences social anxiety. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Research works printed but not linked: 23

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Sorted by citations

Authors
Pickard, H., Rijsdijk, F., Happé, F., & Mandy, W.
Affiliations
  • King's College London (GB)
  • University College London (GB)
Corresponding author
Pickard, Hannah
ORCID
Venue
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2017-04
Volume
56
Issue
4
Pages
344-351.e3
ISSN
0890-8567 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jaac.2017.01.007
PMC
PMC5376399
OpenAlex
W2583370881
Cited by
79
References
11
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 3
FWCI
10.33
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • King's College London
  • University College London
  • University of Bristol
  • Medical Research Council (102215, PAD7125, MC_PC_15018)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Keywords
social anxiety, risk factors, childhood, autism spectrum disorder, social skills training, prevention, longitudinal development, typically developing children
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Anxiety, Child, Communication, Female, United Kingdom, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Risk Factors, Social Skills

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