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Social Anxiety and Psychosocial Adjustment in Adolescents: Relation with Peer Victimization, Self-Esteem and Emotion Regulation

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Abstract

This study explores the levels and psychosocial consequences of social anxiety in adolescents to determine the predictive value of social anxiety in these effects. A total of 2.060 secondary school students (47.9% girls; mean age: 14.34) completed five scales to measure social anxiety, self-esteem, emotion regulation, and peer victimization (off and online). Three groups of youth with social anxiety along a continuum ranging from very low to higher degrees of the disorder were stablished. Differences were found among the groups regarding self-esteem, use of the cognitive reappraisal strategy, and peer and online victimization, with students suffering from higher levels of social anxiety showing the most negative effects. The predictive value of anxiety on these effects ranged from 9% to 33.5%. The results are discussed regarding the impact of social anxiety on well-being versus social discomfort and the need for interventions depending on the degree of this condition.

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Notes

  1. Education in Spain is compulsory until the age of 16. ESO (literally, compulsory secondary education) is approximately equivalent to middle or junior high school and comprises four years or grades beginning at the age of 12 until completion at the age of 16.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National R&D Plan, Spain [grant numbers PSI2016-74871-R, PSI2015-64114-R, EDU2013-44627-P].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain

    Olga Gómez-Ortiz, Rosa Roldán & Rosario Ortega-Ruiz

  2. Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad de Córdoba, Avda. San Alberto Magno s/n., 14004, Córdoba, España

    Olga Gómez-Ortiz

  3. Department of Psychology, Social Work & Counselling, University of Greenwich, London, UK

    Rosario Ortega-Ruiz

  4. Department of Psychology, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain

    Luis-Joaquín García-López

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  1. Olga Gómez-Ortiz
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  4. Luis-Joaquín García-López
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Correspondence to Olga Gómez-Ortiz.

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Gómez-Ortiz, O., Roldán, R., Ortega-Ruiz, R. et al. Social Anxiety and Psychosocial Adjustment in Adolescents: Relation with Peer Victimization, Self-Esteem and Emotion Regulation. Child Ind Res 11, 1719–1736 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-017-9506-3

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