Avances recientes y nuevas directrices en la evaluación y tratamiento del trastorno de ansiedad social en jóvenes

Social anxiety disorder in children and adolescents is common, debilitating, and may place children at later risk for secondary disorders such as substance abuse and affective disorders. Recognition of the significance of social phobia has led to a surge of research on its assessment and treatment in youth. This paper provides an overview of the recent advances in this area including the development of new assessment instruments and interventions designed specifically for social anxiety disorder. Commonly used child anxiety measures and associated psychometric properties are described. In addition, the advances and limitations of the existing treatment outcome research are highlighted. Directions for continued progress are suggested including additional work on parent and teacher measures and treatment studies with adolescents, investigations of barriers to referral and treatment participation, and transporting interventions to community settings such as schools.