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Phobia Scale (phobia + scale)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	80%

Selected Abstracts

Refining and validating the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and the Social Phobia Scale

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 2 2009
R. Nicholas Carleton M.A.
Abstract Background: The Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and Social Phobia Scale6 are companion measures for assessing symptoms of social anxiety and social phobia. The scales have good reliability and validity across several samples,3, 6 however, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses have yielded solutions comprising substantially different item content and factor structures. These discrepancies are likely the result of analyzing items from each scale separately or simultaneously. The current investigation sets out to assess items from those scales, both simultaneously and separately, using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses in an effort to resolve the factor structure. Methods: Participants consisted of a clinical sample (n5353; 54% women) and an undergraduate sample (n5317; 75% women) who completed the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and Social Phobia Scale, along with additional fear-related measures to assess convergent and discriminant validity. Results: A three-factor solution with a reduced set of items was found to be most stable, irrespective of whether the items from each scale are assessed together or separately. Items from the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale represented one factor, whereas items from the Social Phobia Scale represented two other factors. Conclusion: Initial support for scale and factor validity, along with implications and recommendations for future research, is provided. Depression and Anxiety, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Multidimensional effects of sertraline in social anxiety disorder

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 1 2006
Kathryn M. Connor M.D.
Abstract Clinical trials of social anxiety disorder (SAD) have largely focused on the effect of treatment on symptoms of fear and avoidance, while neglecting the third clinically relevant dimension, physiological arousal. Data were combined from two previously reported placebo-controlled trials of sertraline in the treatment of moderate-to-severe generalized SAD. Efficacy was evaluated using the Brief Social Phobia Scale (BSPS). Three hundred forty-six subjects were randomized to 12,13 weeks of treatment with sertraline and 273 subjects to placebo. Following treatment, significant improvement was noted in favor of sertraline on the full BSPS (P<.001), as well as on each of the individual BSPS subscales: fear (P=.001); avoidance (P<.0001); and physiological arousal (P<.0001). Of the physiological symptoms assessed, the treatment advantage with sertraline was maintained for blushing (P<.003) and palpitations (P<.03), but not for trembling and sweating. These results confirm the efficacy of treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), sertraline, across the spectrum of fear, avoidance, and physiological arousal in generalized SAD (GSAD). Among common physiological symptoms in this population, blushing and palpitations appear more treatment responsive than trembling and sweating to acute treatment with sertraline. Depression and Anxiety 23:6,10, 2006. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Obesity: attitudes of undergraduate student nurses and registered nurses

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 16 2009
Man-Yuk Poon
Aim., To investigate undergraduate student nurses' and registered nurses' attitudes towards obese persons and towards the management of obese patients. Background., Obesity is a global public health problem. Escalating rates of overweight and obesity are also taking a toll in Asian countries that have historically had much lower rates. Despite the growing prevalence of obesity worldwide, studies show that nurses and other health professionals hold negative attitudes towards obese people, which may affect the care of obese patients. Design., Cross-sectional study. Methods., A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 352 undergraduate student nurses and 198 registered nurses. The questionnaire consisted of the Fat Phobia Scale, the Attitudes Toward Obese Adult Patients Scale and a demographic profile. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and student's t -tests. Results., Overall mean scores on the Fat Phobia Scale (3·53 SD 0·47) indicated average levels of fat phobia and mean scores on the Attitudes Toward Obese Adult Patients scale (2·64 SD 0·51) indicated neutral attitudes towards obese patients. Registered nurses had significantly higher levels of fat phobia and more negative attitudes than did student nurses. The majority of participants perceived that obese people liked food, overate and were shapeless, slow and unattractive. Additionally, over one-half of participants believed that obese adults should be put on a diet while in hospital. Conclusions., Results of this study show that both registered nurses and student nurses have negative perceptions of obesity and are unlikely to attribute positive characteristics to obese individuals. That registered nurses hold more negative attitudes towards obese person is cause for concern. Relevance to clinical practice., Given the increasing prevalence of obesity and the disproportionate number of obese persons affected by many health conditions, current and future nurses should have positive professional attitudes towards obese individuals. Obesity needs to more be adequately addressed, both in basic nursing education programs and in continuing professional education for practising nurses. [source]

Social anxiety in anorexia and bulimia nervosa: the mediating role of shame

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THEORY & PRACTICE), Issue 1 2006
Ralph Grabhorn
Objective: The close relationship between social anxiety and eating disorders has attracted considerable scholarly attention in recent years. Shame has been identified as the key emotional symptom in the link between social anxiety and social phobia. While shame is commonly recognized as a meaningful construct for understanding eating disorders, empirical research into this issue has been lacking. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the strength of influence shame and social anxiety have in the psychopathology of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa compared with other clinical groups. Furthermore, the issue of whether shame can account for clinical group differences in the experienced levels of social anxiety was examined. Method: The sample consisted of 120 female inpatients, divided into four groups of 30 according to individual diagnoses: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, anxiety disorders and depression. The Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) and the Internalized Shame Scale (ISS) were used to measure the target constructs for this investigation. Results: Patients with anorexia and bulimia nervosa have higher scores in internalized global shame than patients with anxiety disorders and depressions. In contrast to anorectic patients, however, patients with bulimia also have higher scores than the other two groups in the area of social performance anxiety; they also differ significantly from the anxiety disorders in terms of interaction anxiety. Once shame was partialled out, group differences of social anxiety were shown to disappear. Discussion: Both shame and social anxiety have to be regarded as important influencing factors in anorexia and bulimia nervosa, with shame making a significant contribution to the explanation of social anxieties. The interaction between shame and social anxiety as well as its relevance for eating disorders are discussed. With regards to the therapeutic implications, it would seem reasonable not only to focus on treating shame affect but also to specifically adopt a therapeutic strategy targeting social anxiety fears.,Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]