Project conducted by Sakshi Rajesh
Social anxiety disorder often begins early in life, but mechanisms highlighted by the cognitive model of social anxiety have not been extensively validated in pre-adolescent children.
It is important to do so, as research suggests that children with social anxiety disorder do not benefit from current treatment approaches as much as children with other anxiety disorders. This project aims to evaluate one part of the cognitive model in a sample of pre-adolescent children, namely the processing of the self as a social object. We will investigate the effect and disorder-specificity of two mechanisms — self-focused attention and negative mental imagery — using experimental and secondary analysis methods.
It is hoped that the findings improve our understanding of what keeps childhood social anxiety going, to inform and refine current treatment approaches.
