Cognitive Maintenance Factors of Childhood and Adolescent Social Anxiety Disorder

Cognitive models have provided an important theoretical framework to understand the processes that exacerbate the symptoms of social anxiety disorder (SAD). Despite the preponderance of studies on adults, these maintenance factors in children and adolescents is still a growing field of research. This paper reviews the current status of the literature on four key domains of maintenance: negative self- appraisal, information processing bias, self-focused attention and post-event rumination, and discuss whether these cognitive maintenance mechanisms implicated in adult SAD are similarly presented in the youth cohort. Additionally, clinical implications and directions for future research are briefly mentioned in the conclusion.