Sociotropic personality traits positively correlate with the severity of social anxiety

Aim. To investigate sociotropic-autonomic personality characteristics and their clinical implications in social anxiety disorder (SAD).  Methods. The study included 68 consecutive patients who were either being followed up on an outpatient basis or presented for the first time to the psychiatric clinics of Bakirkoy Research and Training Hospital for Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery or Trakya University School of Medicine between May 2012 and May 2013, and were diagnosed primarily with generalised SAD according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) diagnostic criteria. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale (SAS), Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R), Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) and a sociodemographic data collection form designed by the authors were used as primary assessment instruments.  Results. The mean age (standard deviation (SD)) of the sample group was 23.73 (8.85) years; 37 (54.4%) were female and 31 (45.6%) were male. LSAS mean (SD) total fear score was 63.51 (13.74), mean total avoidance score was 61.24 (14.26), BDI mean score was 16.99 (9.58), SAS mean sociotropy score was 71.06 (16.79), and mean autonomy score was 63.22 (16.04). A statistically significant positive correlation was found between SAS sociotropy scores and LSAS fear and avoidance total scores, BDI scores and all subscales of SCL-90-R (p<0.01). There were no statistically significant correlations between SAS autonomy scores and LSAS fear and avoidance total scores, BDI scores and all subscales of SCL-90-R (p>0.05).  Conclusion. Sociotropic personality characteristics in patients with SAD have been found to positively correlate with depression and social anxiety levels. Addressing this finding during treatment sessions and helping the patient increase flexibility in appraisal of social life events may have a positive impact on treatment outcome

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Social Anxiety Disorder: Current Concepts

Cognitive behavioral therapy is still one of the most important treatment modalities in social anxiety disorder with a high level of evidence. However, some patients do not fully benefit from these therapies and this fact leads to ongoing search for new approaches. This paper reviews use of cognitive behavioral therapy in social anxiety disorder studies and discusses related updated concepts. The frequent use of computer-assisted therapy for most of recent studies was found noteworthy. Recent studies regarding social anxiety disorder focused on concepts such as attention bias, biased information processing, attention training, judgment biases, internet-based cognitive behavioral therapies and social mishap exposure. Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy seemed to be a good option for people who were unable to access face to face treatment. [Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry 2015; 7(3.000): 229-243

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder with Poor Insight

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental disorder that may cause severe disability. Insight in obsessive-compulsive disorder has been an issue of debate since the disorder was described for the first time. Formerly, obsessive-compulsive disorder was regarded as one of the neurotic disorders and patients were supposed to find their symptoms as totally senseless and exaggerated. However, the idea that obsessions have to be regarded egodystonic has changed recently. Firstly in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition (DSM-IV), the term \"with poor insight and rdquo; was used as a specifier for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Obsessive-compulsive disorder with low or no insight may differ from obsessive-compulsive disorder with good insight in terms of sociodemographic, clinical and treatment features. Along with types of obsessions, the levels of insight are subject to change. Obsessive-compulsive disorder with poor insight can either be a subtype with different features or a severe form of Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Along with DSM-5 insight in obsessive-compulsive disorder is no longer classified as absent or present. Insight in obsessive-compulsive disorder needs to be conceptualized as a spectrum or continuity. [Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry 2014; 6(2.000): 126-141

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder with Poor Insight

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental disorder that may cause severe disability. Insight in obsessive-compulsive disorder has been an issue of debate since the disorder was described for the first time. Formerly, obsessive-compulsive disorder was regarded as one of the neurotic disorders and patients were supposed to find their symptoms as totally senseless and exaggerated. However, the idea that obsessions have to be regarded egodystonic has changed recently. Firstly in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition (DSM-IV), the term \"with poor insight and rdquo; was used as a specifier for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Obsessive-compulsive disorder with low or no insight may differ from obsessive-compulsive disorder with good insight in terms of sociodemographic, clinical and treatment features. Along with types of obsessions, the levels of insight are subject to change. Obsessive-compulsive disorder with poor insight can either be a subtype with different features or a severe form of Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Along with DSM-5 insight in obsessive-compulsive disorder is no longer classified as absent or present. Insight in obsessive-compulsive disorder needs to be conceptualized as a spectrum or continuity. [Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry 2014; 6(2.000): 126-141

Attentional Bias and Training in Social Anxiety Disorder

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective treatment modalities for social anxiety disorder (SAD), showing a high level of clinical evidence supporting its effectiveness. On the other hand, lack of the desired benefit from this treatment in some patients causes continuation of the search for new techniques. Recent research studies have focused on attentional bias and attention training in SAD. Attention processes in SAD have been a major target of interest and investigation since the introduction of the first cognitive models explaining SAD. In the first model, it was highlighted that attention was self-focused. The relationship between threatening stimuli and attention was considered in the subsequent models. Attentional bias towards threat may take place in several ways, such as facilitated processing of threat, difficulty in disengaging attention from the threat and avoidance of attention from the threat. After these descriptions regarding the phenomenology of the disorder, treatments to modify attention, processes were developed. In spite of conflicting results, investigations on attentional training are promising. Attention processes, attentional bias and attentional training in SAD are discussed in this review. Keywords: Social anxiety disorder, attention, attentional training ABSTRACT 4 INTRODUCTION Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a prevalent (1) disorder which may cause severe disability (2). According to the cognitive model, individuals with SAD experience anxiety in social situations, due to their cognitive distortions that they will be rejected or fall into an embarrassing condition (3). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the treatment methods that are proven to be effective in SAD (4). Classical CBT includes detection and changing of dysfunctional cognitions and gradual exposure (5). Although classical CBT methods have been proven to be effective to some extent in patients with SAD, it does not cause a significant decrease in symptoms in one third of the patients (6). For this reason, search for more effective CBT methods for treatment of SAD continues. One of the most interesting among these new methods is attentional training, which is used to change attention processes

Attentional Bias and Training in Social Anxiety Disorder

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective treatment modalities for social anxiety disorder (SAD), showing a high level of clinical evidence supporting its effectiveness. On the other hand, lack of the desired benefit from this treatment in some patients causes continuation of the search for new techniques. Recent research studies have focused on attentional bias and attention training in SAD. Attention processes in SAD have been a major target of interest and investigation since the introduction of the first cognitive models explaining SAD. In the first model, it was highlighted that attention was self-focused. The relationship between threatening stimuli and attention was considered in the subsequent models. Attentional bias towards threat may take place in several ways, such as facilitated processing of threat, difficulty in disengaging attention from the threat and avoidance of attention from the threat. After these descriptions regarding the phenomenology of the disorder, treatments to modify attention, processes were developed. In spite of conflicting results, investigations on attentional training are promising. Attention processes, attentional bias and attentional training in SAD are discussed in this review. Keywords: Social anxiety disorder, attention, attentional training ABSTRACT 4 INTRODUCTION Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a prevalent (1) disorder which may cause severe disability (2). According to the cognitive model, individuals with SAD experience anxiety in social situations, due to their cognitive distortions that they will be rejected or fall into an embarrassing condition (3). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the treatment methods that are proven to be effective in SAD (4). Classical CBT includes detection and changing of dysfunctional cognitions and gradual exposure (5). Although classical CBT methods have been proven to be effective to some extent in patients with SAD, it does not cause a significant decrease in symptoms in one third of the patients (6). For this reason, search for more effective CBT methods for treatment of SAD continues. One of the most interesting among these new methods is attentional training, which is used to change attention processes