DSM-5 criteria - marked fear of social situations with possible scrutiny.
The Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) is a psychosocial scoring tool used in paediatric practice. DSM-5 criteria - marked fear of social situations with possible scrutiny. It scores 8 criteria and interprets the total across 2 bands, so the number always arrives with the severity it implies rather than on its own. In PediAid each criterion is shown as a labelled option with the weight it carries, so the total can be checked rather than taken on trust.
8. They are Marked fear/anxiety about ≥1 social situation involving possible scrutiny by others; Fears acting in a way, or showing anxiety, that will be negatively evaluated; Social situations almost always provoke fear or anxiety (children: crying, tantrums, freezing, clinging, failing to speak); Social situations are avoided or endured with intense fear; Fear is out of proportion to the actual threat posed; Persistent, typically lasting ≥6 months; and others.
The total is interpreted as: any score - Below threshold: not all criteria met - DSM-5 requires all of them; 8 criteria met or more - Threshold met: all criteria met - consistent with social anxiety disorder. In children the anxiety must occur in peer settings, not only during interactions with adults.
No. It is a structured way to record and communicate severity. A clinician concerned about a child should act on that concern regardless of the total.
DSM-5 threshold: 8 or more of the 8 criteria listed.
Yes. Score definitions are bundled with the PediAid app, so the score computes without a connection.