TY - JOUR
T1 - Risk for social anxiety in early adolescence
T2 - Longitudinal impact of pubertal development, appearance comparisons, and peer connections.
AU - Rapee, Ronald M.
AU - Magson, Natasha R.
AU - Forbes, Miriam K.
AU - Richardson, Cele E.
AU - Johnco, Carly J.
AU - Oar, Ella L.
AU - Fardouly, Jasmine
N1 - Funding Information:
This project was supported by an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship FL150100096 to Ronald Rapee.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2022/7
Y1 - 2022/7
N2 - Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine the impact of adolescent-relevant risk factors on changes in social anxiety symptoms from pre-to early-adolescence. Methods: From 2016 to 2018, 528 youth (51% boys) were tested in three annual waves across grades 6, 7, and 8 (M ages 11.2, 12.7, 13.7 years). Through online surveys youth reported on peer relationships that were combined into two latent factors: 1) appearance comparisons, comprising youth reports of appearance comparisons relative to others in general and while using social media, along with perceived attractiveness; and 2) positive peer connections, comprising youth reports of group affiliation, school belonging, and peer victimisation. Youth and their parents also reported on the youth's level of pubertal development as well as the youth's level of social anxiety using previously validated questionnaires. Social anxiety was also assessed with structured diagnostic interview. Results: Separate cross-lagged panel models were used to model longitudinal associations between all risk factors and youth, parent, and interviewer-reported measures of social anxiety. Of the associations tested, only appearance comparisons directly predicted increases in social anxiety symptoms 12 months later across all models. More advanced pubertal development was associated with increased appearance comparisons the following year. On the other hand, higher levels of social anxiety predicted subsequent reductions in positive peer connections in parent and interviewer models. Conclusions: These results highlight the important and interconnected impact of pubertal development and appearance comparisons on both the development of social anxiety symptoms during early adolescence, as well as the social consequences of social anxiety.
AB - Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine the impact of adolescent-relevant risk factors on changes in social anxiety symptoms from pre-to early-adolescence. Methods: From 2016 to 2018, 528 youth (51% boys) were tested in three annual waves across grades 6, 7, and 8 (M ages 11.2, 12.7, 13.7 years). Through online surveys youth reported on peer relationships that were combined into two latent factors: 1) appearance comparisons, comprising youth reports of appearance comparisons relative to others in general and while using social media, along with perceived attractiveness; and 2) positive peer connections, comprising youth reports of group affiliation, school belonging, and peer victimisation. Youth and their parents also reported on the youth's level of pubertal development as well as the youth's level of social anxiety using previously validated questionnaires. Social anxiety was also assessed with structured diagnostic interview. Results: Separate cross-lagged panel models were used to model longitudinal associations between all risk factors and youth, parent, and interviewer-reported measures of social anxiety. Of the associations tested, only appearance comparisons directly predicted increases in social anxiety symptoms 12 months later across all models. More advanced pubertal development was associated with increased appearance comparisons the following year. On the other hand, higher levels of social anxiety predicted subsequent reductions in positive peer connections in parent and interviewer models. Conclusions: These results highlight the important and interconnected impact of pubertal development and appearance comparisons on both the development of social anxiety symptoms during early adolescence, as well as the social consequences of social anxiety.
KW - Adolescence
KW - Peer relationships
KW - Puberty
KW - Social anxiety
KW - Social comparison
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85130584021&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.brat.2022.104126
DO - 10.1016/j.brat.2022.104126
M3 - Article
C2 - 35642989
AN - SCOPUS:85130584021
SN - 0005-7967
VL - 154
JO - Behaviour Research and Therapy
JF - Behaviour Research and Therapy
M1 - 104126
ER -