This study evaluated the psychometric properties of a newly developed instrument, the Social Anxiety Scale (SAS) within a non-clinical Swedish adult population (n: 384), in which psychophysical (SAS-cMax) and categorical (SAS-C) scaling methods were compared. Unlike many common rating scales, the SAS items were designed to align with the perceived intensity of symptom severity. With a reduced number of items, both scaling methods (SAS11-cMax and SAS13-C) demonstrated robust conceptual validity, with a three-factor model encompassing “fear of interaction in groups and with strangers”, “fear of speaking in front of others and being in the center of attention”, and “fear of performing tasks while being observed”. In addition, the SAS showed an excellent internal consistency (SAS11-cMax, α = 0.93 and SAS13-C, α = 0.93), as well as good to satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity. ROC-analyses revealed an excellent accurcay of both scaling methods to distinguish between high and low social anxiety levels. A score of 25.3 cM (“moderate social anxiety”) yielded the most optimal sensitivity (0.80) and specificity (0.80) of the SAS11-cMax. A score of 18.5 points yielded the most optimal sensitivity (0.85) and specificity (0.87) of the SAS13-C. Overall, its concluded that the SAS exhibits sound psychometric properties regardless of scaling method. Further validation with other social anxiety scales and within a clinical population, is needed to establish its effectiveness as a screening tool for social anxiety.

Accurate psychological measurements remain challenging due to the symptoms’ latent and subjective nature. Standard instruments for assessing generalized anxiety and depression, such as the GAD-7 and PHQ-9, typically rely on Likert scaling. This study examined Borg centiMax (cMax) adaptations of these measures to study whether ratio-scaled response formats retain the psychometric properties of the originals. Adults from a convenience sample (N = 138) completed Likert and cMax multi-item (MI) of the GAD-7 and PHQ-9, a single-item (SI) cMax global measure of GAD and MDD, and life satisfaction. Analyses assessed internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity, and discriminative validity. Both cMax MI and Likert formats showed good to excellent internal consistency. Strong convergence between cMax and Likert measures of general anxiety (r =.73–.77) and depression (r =.79−.86), indicated preserved construct coverage. Divergent validity was supported by moderate associations with life satisfaction (r = −.44 to −.63). ROC analyses showed good-to-excellent MI and SI cMax discrimination of clinically relevant anxiety and depression (sensitivity =.82–.92; specificity =.76–.93). Both formats also distinguished between participants who did or did not recognize themselves in the descriptions of GAD and MDD. MI and SI formats performed comparably, with MI aligning slightly more closely with traditional scales. We conclude that the centiMax-based instruments retained the psychometric and structural properties of the original scales while providing a ratio-scaled, standardized response format that may enhance interpretability and cross-domain comparability in psychological assessment.

This longitudinal study aimed to examine the 1-year prevalence, incidence and persistence of sub-diagnostic social anxiety (SSA) as well as general risk factors for the incidence and persistence of SSA during early and mid-adolescence. A Swedish sample of adolescents (N = 2,523) aged 13-14 years at Time 1 and 14-15 years at Time 2 completed measures of anxiety, depressive symptoms, stressors and emotion regulation strategies across the two timepoints. SSA was defined and assessed by the Social Phobia Screening Questionnaire for Children. The prevalence of SSA was 16%, the incidence 12%, and the persistence 53% over time. Symptoms of depression and general anxiety, various stressors and emotion regulation strategies were overall significantly related to SSA. Predictors for the incidence of SSA were lower age, female gender and elevated general anxiety and behavioral avoidance (i.e. being afraid of new activities when there is uncertainty about the outcome). Predictors for persistent SSA were female gender and increased behavioral avoidance. In conclusion, SSA is very common among young individuals, and behavioral avoidance appears particularly important for understanding the development and persistence of SSA in adolescence.

Background: Social anxiety and depressive symptoms increase markedly during adolescence. Most research examining the emergence of these symptoms has used a variable-centered approach providing little information about how these symptoms group together in individuals over time.

Method: A person-centered approach utilizing latent profile and latent transitional analyses was applied to a large adolescent sample (N = 2742, Mage=13.65; SD=0.63; 47.9% girls). Subgroups differing in their expressions of social anxiety and depressive symptoms at each of four annual time points were identified and then change in membership of these groups was evaluated.

Results: Four subgroups were identified: 1. Low Distress, 2. Socially Anxious, 3. Dysphoric, and 4. Comorbid. The low distress group was the largest and most stable, followed by the socially anxious group, who most commonly transitioned into the comorbid group. In contrast, the dysphoric group were most likely to remit and move to the low distress group. The comorbid group was the smallest and least stable, although once in this group, three quarters of adolescents remained in this group over time.

Conclusion: Early intervention is particularly imperative for socially anxious adolescents with or without comorbid depressive symptoms as they are the least likely to improve across the adolescent years.

Syftet med den här boken är att ge en bred, sammanhängande och aktuell bild av social ångest. Social ångest innebär för många ett stort lidande och är ett av de vanligaste psykiatriska syndromen. Det är också ett fält inom vilket kunskapsutvecklingen har expanderat kraftigt sedan 1980-talet. Den traditionella bilden av blyga och tillbakadragna personer med social ångest har till exempel utvidgats till att även omfatta de som kan vara impulsiva och utagerande.

Boken behandlar konceptualisering av social ångest och neurobiologiska och kognitiva faktorer, samt beskriver psykologisk behandling och läkemedelsbehandling av barn, tonåringar och vuxna. Kapitelförfattarna är verksamma forskare och kliniker specialiserade inom området.

Social ångest från teori till behandling vänder sig till psykologer, psykoterapeuter, lärare, läkare, studenter på grundläggande och avancerad nivå, samt till den intresserade allmänheten.

The Borg centiMax Scale, is a psychophysically composed general intensity ratio scale, which could enable more precise inter‐ and intraindividual comparisons of the intensity of depressive symptoms. In the present study, the properties of the centiMax scale were examined in 38 patients with clinical depression and 109 students. Additionally, preliminary centiMax cut‐off scores for mild, moderate and severe depression were estimated. The psychometric properties of the centiMax were found to be satisfactory regarding internal consistency, convergent, discriminative and predictive validity. Moreover, the centiMax was demonstrated to provide meaningful comparisons of symptom intensity, which makes it possible to evaluate the relative importance of individual symptoms in a profile and make more precise comparisons within and between individuals. With regard to intraindividual comparisons, patients rated , for example, the intensity of feeling “guilt” twice as strong as feelings of “being punished,” and the intensity of “loss of pleasure” almost three times as strong as “being punished.” With regard to interindividual comparisons, patients rated e.g., the intensity of “being punished” as 12 times stronger than controls, and the intensity of “worthlessness” about nine times stronger. In conclusion, the centiMax was shown to be reliable and valid for assessing depressive symptoms. The centiMax with level anchored ratio data, appears to be highly advantageous as it permits rather precise values of symptom intensity for intra‐ and interindividual comparisons that could be useful in the diagnostic process and in treatment planning.

Research on the association between social anxiety and social media usage remains inconclusive: despite the preference for computer-mediated communication there is currently no clear empirical support for social anxiety being associated with longer duration of social media use. Self-report measures for social anxiety that are adapted for the context of social media could facilitate further research. The current study aimed to develop a Swedish version of the recently developed Social Anxiety Scale for Social Media Users (SAS-SMU), evaluate its psychometric properties, and explore associations between different uses of social media and social anxiety. Three factors were retained for SAS-SMU with excellent internal consistency. SAS-SMU evidenced convergent validity with measures of social anxiety, negative convergent validity with satisfaction with life, and divergent validity with measures of obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Results indicated that higher levels of social anxiety were associated with passive and active use as well as longer duration of social media use in general, which is at odds with a previous study where passive use remained the only significant predictor for social anxiety.

A growing body of research has acknowledged the heterogeneity of subclinical social anxiety, identifying a subgroup of individuals who exhibit high levels of impulsivity. In a sample of Swedish early adolescents (N = 2,509, M-age = 13.64; 52.8% girls), we conducted latent transition analyses (LTA) to identify four classes of subclinical social anxiety-impulsivity across three time points. We identified a Low Social Anxiety-Low Impulsivity class, as well as a High Anxiety-High Impulsivity class for girls and boys, which had high levels of Time-4 internalizing problems. The latter class was less stable but larger for boys. There was also a more typical High Anxiety-Low Impulsivity class for both genders. Nevertheless, Low Anxiety-High Impulsivity girls and boys fared the worst in terms of both internalizing and externalizing problems later on. To our knowledge, this is the first study to adopt an LTA framework to investigate trajectories of early adolescent social anxiety-impulsivity over time.

The Borg centiMax scale is a psychophysically constructed general intensity scale with verbal anchors placed in congruence with the numerical scale (0–100); thus, ratio data are obtained. With ratio data, quantitative relationships among perceptions and feelings can be determined in a statistically more solid way. The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the utility of using the Borg CR Scale® (centiMax®, CR100) for measuring depressive symptoms in a pilot study of 50 students, who completed the centiMax along with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Convergent validity and reliability were examined by correlation analyses (Pearson, Spearman, and Split-half with Spearman–Brown correction), and group and individual symptom profiles were constructed to illustrate the possible advantage of level anchored ratio data. The strong correlation 0.75 (p < .001) between the instruments supports an acceptable convergent validity of the centiMax and indicates a common underlying construct. Additionally, the reliability was high (cM = 0.96; BDI = 0.90). With symptom profiles, it was demonstrated that level anchored ratio data can show both how intense (level) and how many times more intense (relation) the feelings of separate symptoms are. In conclusion, the centiMax appears to be a valid and reliable instrument; however, further studies in larger samples including clinically depressed participants are needed for evaluating its diagnostic importance.

Social anxiety is common in the general population, as well as among students in higher education. For screening of social anxiety, there is a need for brief scales. In the present study, the psychometric properties were examined in a Swedish version of the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) and the Mini-Social Phobia Inventory (Mini-SPIN) in a university student sample (n = 161). In addition to the SPIN and Mini-SPIN, participants completed measures of fear of public speaking, general anxiety, depression, and quality of life. Exploratory factor analyses were used to investigate the underlying dimensions of the SPIN, and reliability, convergent, and divergent validity of SPIN and Mini-SPIN were examined by Cronbach’s alpha and correlation analyses. It was found that a shorter eight-item version of the SPIN was associated with two solid factors (fear and avoidance of social interaction and fear and avoidance of criticism), and acceptable internal consistency, convergent, and divergent validity. In addition, the Mini-SPIN was associated with satisfactory convergent validity, but the reliability was not acceptable. It is concluded that the SPIN-8 is a viable screening tool for social anxiety in a university student population.