Exploring the social anxiety spectrum using qualitative analyses of early memories

Difficulties arise when diagnosing Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) as a separate entity from subclinical social anxiety, which is characterised by similar yet less frequent and intense underlying core issues and fears. Therefore, this study explored symptom profiles of SAD and sub-clinical social anxiety, by identifying diagnostic boundaries that demarcate clinical thresholds from sub-clinical presentations, relative to non-psychiatric controls. This information can assist accurate diagnosis of SAD and inform future nosologies regarding diagnostic thresholds from less severe presentations. Additional implications involve treatment of socially anxious individuals in the general community who would benefit from therapeutic intervention, due to increased avoidance, distress, impairments, and/or comorbid disorders.