Anxiety levels in children with selective mutism and social anxiety disorder

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Schwenck ◽  
Angelika Gensthaler ◽  
Felix Vogel
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Social Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Selective Mutism ◽  
Anxiety Levels

scholarly journals Selective Mutism and Its Relations to Social Anxiety Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Muris ◽  
Thomas H. Ollendick
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Social Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Selective Mutism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Classification Systems ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Special Role ◽  
Social Difficulties

AbstractIn current classification systems, selective mutism (SM) is included in the broad anxiety disorders category. Indeed, there is abundant evidence showing that anxiety, and social anxiety in particular, is a prominent feature of SM. In this article, we point out that autism spectrum problems in addition to anxiety problems are sometimes also implicated in SM. To build our case, we summarize evidence showing that SM, social anxiety disorder (SAD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are allied clinical conditions and share communalities in the realm of social difficulties. Following this, we address the role of a prototypical class of ASD symptoms, restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests (RRBIs), which are hypothesized to play a special role in the preservation and exacerbation of social difficulties. We then substantiate our point that SM is sometimes more than an anxiety disorder by addressing its special link with ASD in more detail. Finally, we close by noting that the possible involvement of ASD in SM has a number of consequences for clinical practice with regard to its classification, assessment, and treatment of children with SM and highlight a number of directions for future research.

scholarly journals Anxiety Is Associated With DPPIV Alterations in Children With Selective Mutism and Social Anxiety Disorder: A Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulia Golub ◽  
Valeska Stonawski ◽  
Anne C. Plank ◽  
Anna Eichler ◽  
Oliver Kratz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Social Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Selective Mutism ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 ◽  
Adolescent Anxiety ◽  
Pediatric Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Background: Both selective mutism (SM) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) are severe pediatric anxiety disorders with the common trait of behavioral inhibition (BI). The underlying pathophysiology of these disorders remains poorly understood, however converging evidence suggests that alterations in several peripheral molecular pathways might be involved. In a pilot study, we investigated alterations in plasma molecular markers (dipeptidyl peptidase-4 [DPPIV], interleukin-6 [IL-6], tumor necrosis factor-β [TNF-β] and neuropeptide-Y [NPY]) in children with SM, SAD, and healthy controls, as well as the correlation of these markers to symptom severity.Methods: We included 51 children and adolescents (aged 5–18 years; n = 29 girls): n = 20 children in the SM-, n = 16 in the SAD- and n = 15 in the control-group (CG). Peripheral blood samples were analyzed for DPPIV, IL-6, TNF-β, and NPY concentrations. Diverse psychometric measures were used for BI, anxiety, and mutism symptoms.Results: Lower DPPIV-levels were correlated with more anxiety symptoms. However, we could not find a difference in any molecular marker between the patients with SAD and SM in comparison to the CG.Conclusion: DPPIV is proposed as relevant marker for child and adolescent anxiety. Investigating the pathophysiology of SM and SAD focusing on state and trait variables as anxiety or BI might help better understanding the underlying mechanisms of these disorders. Further studies with especially larger cohorts are needed to validate the current pilot-findings.

Selective Mutism and Social Anxiety Disorder: All in the Family?

2007 ◽  
Vol 46 (11) ◽  
pp. 1464-1472 ◽  
Author(s):  
DENISE A. CHAVIRA ◽  
ELISA SHIPON-BLUM ◽  
CARLA HITCHCOCK ◽  
SHARON COHAN ◽  
MURRAY B. STEIN
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Social Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Selective Mutism ◽  
The Family

scholarly journals Psychophysiological mechanisms underlying the failure to speak: a comparison between children with selective mutism and social anxiety disorder on autonomic arousal

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Vogel ◽  
Christina Schwenck
Keyword(s):  
Stress Response ◽  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Social Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Selective Mutism ◽  
Verbal Task ◽  
Compensatory Mechanism ◽  
Fear Response ◽  
Social Situations

Abstract Background Selective mutism (SM) has been conceptualized as an extreme variant of social anxiety disorder (SAD), in which the failure to speak functions as an avoidance mechanism leading to a reduction of intense fear arousal. However, psychophysiological studies in children with SM are scarce and physiological mechanisms underlying the failure to speak are largely unknown. In contrast, children with SAD are characterized by a combination of a chronically elevated physiological arousal and a blunted physiological fear response to social stress. Due to the large overlap between SM and SAD, similar mechanisms might apply to both disorders, while differences might explain why children with SM fail to speak. The aim of our study is to investigate psychophysiological mechanisms of the failure to speak in children with SM. Methods We assessed in a total of N = 96 children [8–12 years, SM: n = 31, SAD: n = 32, typical development (TD): n = 33] resting baseline arousal in absence of social threat and the course of physiological fear response in two social stress paradigms, differing in terms of whether the children are expected to speak (verbal task) or not (nonverbal task). Results Children with SM were characterized by increased tonic arousal compared to the other two groups, and by a more inflexible stress response in the nonverbal but not in the verbal task compared to TD-children. Further analyses revealed that children with SM who did not speak during the verbal task already demonstrated reduced arousal in anticipation of the verbal task. Conclusion The increased tonic arousal generalized to non-social situations in SM could indicate a long-term alteration of the autonomic nervous system. Furthermore, the differential physiological stress response may indicate that silence acts as a maladaptive compensatory mechanism reducing stress in verbal social situations, which does not function in nonverbal situations. Our findings support the idea that the failure to speak might function as an avoidance mechanism, which is already active in anticipation of a verbal situation. Treatment of SM should take into account that children with SM may suffer from chronically elevated stress levels and that different mechanisms might operate in verbal and nonverbal social situations.

Selective Mutism: Variant of Social Anxiety Disorder?

1997 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. S. Dummit ◽  
R. G. Klein ◽  
N. K. Tancer ◽  
B. Asche ◽  
J. Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Social Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Selective Mutism

Gamificiation of Therapy

2016 ◽  
pp. 390-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian E. Bunnell ◽  
Katelyn Procci ◽  
Deborah C. Beidel ◽  
Clint A. Bowers
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Psychiatric Disorder ◽  
Social Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Selective Mutism ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral ◽  
Case Study Data

Selective mutism is a psychiatric disorder characterized by a withdrawal of speech in situations during which speech might be expected typically. Diagnostically speaking, selective mutism is labeled an anxiety disorder, likely due to the high co-occurrence between selective mutism and other anxiety disorders (e.g., social anxiety disorder), and the onset is usually during childhood. Successful treatment of selective mutism includes the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy methods, although early gains during treatment may prove difficult at times. This chapter will provide a background and rationale for the use of gamification in the treatment of selective mutism. Case-study data are also provided. Further, this chapter describes the development of a prototype tablet PC application developed to assist in the treatment of selective mutism.

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