Understanding and Treating Social Anxiety in Female Adolescents

Carol S. Weissbrod & Anna Colangelo

Citation

Weissbrod, C. S. & Colangelo, A. (2020). Understanding and Treating Social Anxiety in Female Adolescents. Journal of Health Service Psychology, 46(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42843-020-00008-z

Abstract

Social anxiety is an intense discomfort and self-consciousness about potential negative evaluations from others or the possibility of embarrassing oneself. The incidence of social anxiety rises in adolescent girls compared to boys (11.2% versus 7.0%). Learning to take healthy risks, developing confidence, and gaining exposure to anxiety-generating stimuli are important. Self-acceptance training, mindfulness training, and reversing of automatic negative interpretive biases are useful interventions. Such techniques are illustrated and described.

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