Abstract
A main feature of social anxiety disorders is the fear or avoidance of social situations in which one is the center of attention and fears criticism or negative judgement. According to current diagnostic systems, three types of these disorders can be classified: specific social phobia, generalised social phobia, and avoidant personality disorder. Social anxiety disorders are prevalent mental disorders (lifetime prevalence up to 13%). Other mental disorders often appear together with them. Following the criteria for evidence-based medicine, psychotherapeutic and pharmacologic interventions are described. Regarding psychotherapeutic approaches, the best results have been seen with cognitive-behavioural methods. Among psychopharmacologic treatments, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and the selective noradrenalin reuptake inhibitor Venlafaxin are the first-choice treatments.
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