A Review of the Epidemiology and Approaches to the Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder

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Abstract
This review presents current literature on the epidemiology and treatment of social anxiety disorder (social phobia). This illness has been demonstrated to be the most common anxiety disorder with a 1-year prevalence of 7 to 8% and a lifetime prevalence of 13 to 14% in patients aged between 15 and 54 years. Social anxiety disorder can be classified into 2 subtypes, discrete and generalised. Morbidity is high with this disorder, and 70 to 80% of patients have co-morbid mental disorders. Although effective treatments are available, social anxiety disorder is under-recognised and under-treated. Treatments that have been systemically studied and have shown efficacy in patients with social anxiety disorder include pharmacotherapy (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, reversible inhibitors of monoamine-A and benzodiazepines) and short term psychotherapies (cognitive behaviour therapy, social skills training and exposure in vivo therapy). β-blockers are useful in treating performance-related anxiety. Few published data are available on the treatment of social anxiety disorder with a combination of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. We conclude this review by discussing proposed algorithms for treating both subtypes of social anxiety disorder.

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