People with Social Phobia face very large barriers to getting the treatment they need — larger than those faced by others with mental illnesses.
Many of the barriers are the same as with other mental illnesses, but some are unique to Social Phobia. Mark Olfson of Columbia University says:
Socially anxious people are often ashamed of their symptoms and embarrassed to discuss them with friends or health care professionals. It is ironic that the very symptoms socially anxious individuals seek to relieve may interfere with their ability to seek treatment.
This post, based on research by Olfson reported in The American Journal of Psychiatry, goes into detail about the barriers people with Social Phobia face, along with what can be done about it. It addresses the following topics:
- First, what is Social Phobia?
- Research on barriers to getting treatment for Social Phobia
- Untreated Social Phobia is very common
- Untreated Social Phobia greatly impairs daily functionality
- Barriers to treatment of Social Phobia
- What can be done to increase the treatment rate for people with Social Phobia?
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