A Possibly More Effective Treatment for Teen Social Anxiety

Teen social anxiety is more than “being shy.” It’s a sometimes paralyzing fear of being in certain social situations–it can hinder a student from learning, making friends, and excelling in life. It’s estimated that 1 in 8 people struggle with social anxiety. We’re still learning more and more about teen social anxiety and how to treat it.

A recent study came out with evidence suggesting the best way to treat adult and teen anxiety is through a combination of SSRI antidepressants and cognitive-behavioral therapy. PsyBlog recently wrote an article outlining the details of the study.

A possibly more effective approach to teen social anxiety

Researchers found that for those in most discomfort, the combination treatment was a fantastic way to control adult and teen social anxiety. Critics warn that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the best long-term answer, though. While the combination could be used to stabilize, they say CBT is found to promise the best, most effective effects over time.

The study contradicts this argument, though. In the study, they compared groups that received therapy and antidepressants with groups that received therapy and a placebo. Nine weeks following treatment, the combination groups were doing better. Even 15 months after, the combination groups were significantly better off.
Though this study is promising, more research needs to be conducted in order to confirm whether the combination treatment truly is more effective than other available forms. This study does help open doors and deepen our understanding of how teen social anxiety works, though.

Recognizing social anxiety

It can be hard for a parent to discern between regular shyness and anxiety. Child Mind Institute provides a lot of information on how anxiety works and how to identify it. First off, there are two types of child and teen social anxiety: performance and interactional.

Performance is characterized by an extreme fear of things like public speaking, shopping in stores, or ordering at a restaurant. Interactional revolves around social interaction, even if the teen isn’t in the spotlight. This means they fear eating in public, going to school, or using public restrooms. Most children struggle with performance social anxiety.

Asheville Academy can help

Asheville Academy is a therapeutic boarding school for young girls, ages 10-14, struggling with anxiety, depression, social anxiety, ADHD, and other behavioral or mental issues.

For more information about how Asheville Academy treats child and teen social anxiety, call 800-264-8709 today!