Primary prevention

This can be a chronic, disabling condition with elements of fearfulness and behavioural inhibition in childhood. The early recognition and detection of impairments during childhood, coupled with engagement in evidence-based treatment early in life, may offset the trajectory for social anxiety to persist into adulthood. Educational-behavioural interventions directed towards older children/adolescents, parents, school staff, and healthcare providers have been shown to reduce syndromal rates for developing incident social anxiety at 1-year follow-up relative to the control condition.[33]

The beta-blocker propranolol has shown efficacy in single-dose use for focused social anxiety situations, such as performance anxiety, but routine use is not supported in clinical trials.[34][35]​​ It is not recommended in generalised social anxiety disorder, as repeated controlled trials have demonstrated no advantage over placebo.[34]​[36][37][38][39]​​

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