reliability and validity of DSM-III-R generalized social phobia by examining inter-rater agreement and comparing patients with generalized and non generalized social phobia on demographic characteristics, clinical variables, and familial social phobia. Clinicians classified 129 patients attending an anxiety clinic as having DSM-III-R social phobia that is generalized (fears most social situations) or non generalized (less than most) based on independent narrative review. Good reliability was achieved. Patients with generalized social phobia were more often single, had earlier onsets of social phobia, had more interactional fears, and had higher rates of atypical depression and alcoholism. Familial social phobia was more common among patients with generalized social phobia than patients with non generalized social phobia and controls, with no difference between the latter two groups. The conclusions drawn were that generalized social phobia can be distinguished reliably from non generalized social phobia, and generalized social phobia is a valid sub-type.
Davidson (1994, pp. 975-983) studied individuals with sub-threshold social phobia (SSP) in comparison with non phobic, healthy controls (C), and diagnosed social phobics (SP). Data from 1,488 subjects from the Duke University Epidemiological Catchment Area Study were examined. Bivariate and multivariate methods were used to compare the SSP, SP, and C groups on 10 sets of variables. Compared with C respondents, SSP respondents were more likely to be female and unmarried and to report less income and education. The SSP respondents were also more likely to report work attendance problems, poor grades in school, symptoms of conduct disturbance, impaired subjective social support, lack of self-confidence, lack of a close friend, use of psychotropic drugs in past year, and a greater number of life changes, chronic medical problems, and mental health visits within the past 6 months...