Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterised by a marked and persistent fear of social/performance situations, and a number of key environmental factors have been implicated in the aetiology of the disorder. Hence, the current article reviews theoretical and empirical evidence linking the development of SAD with parenting factors, traumatic life events, and aversive social experiences. Specifically, research suggests that the risk of developing SAD is increased by over-controlling, critical and cold parenting, an insecure attachment style, aversive social/peer experiences, emotional maltreatment, and to a lesser extent other forms of childhood maltreatment and adversity. Moreover, these factors may lead to posttraumatic reactions, distorted negative self-imagery, and internalised shame-based schemas that subsequently maintain SAD symptomatology. However, further research is necessary to clarify the nature, interactions, and relative contributions of these factors. It is likely that SAD develops via a complex interplay of biological and environmental factors, and that multiple aetiological pathways underlie the development of the disorder.

The current study provided psychometric information on the parent and child version of the Behavioural Inhibition System (BIS)/Behavioural Approach System (BAS) scale. Parent-child agreement was evaluated (N = 217, 7.5 to 14 years, 50% boys). Moreover, absolute and rank order stability of mother-reported BIS/BAS scores over a 2-year period were assessed (N = 207, 5.5 to 11 years at baseline, 49% boys). Only full measurement invariant (sub-)scales were considered in the parent-child agreement and longitudinal stability assessment. Parent and child ratings were found to be measurement invariant but discrepant on BAS Drive and BAS Reward Responsiveness. In younger children, child ratings on BAS Drive tended to be higher than parent ratings, whereas in older children, child ratings tended to be lower than parent ratings. Further, the discrepancy between the BAS Drive ratings of fathers and children was higher than the discrepancy between the BAS Drive ratings of mothers and children. Finally, the study results suggested 2-year absolute and rank order stability of the measurement-invariant, mother-reported BIS and BAS Drive scores in children aged 5.5 to 11 years at baseline.

Self-related constructs feature prominently in cognitive models of both social anxiety and depression. However, few studies have simultaneously investigated the unique relationship between self-related constructs and social anxiety and depression, while also controlling for the association between the two variables. In the present study, 522 undergraduate students completed measures of maladaptive self-beliefs, self-esteem, self-criticism, self-focused attention, self-concept clarity, social comparison, and social anxiety and depression. Bivariate correlations demonstrated that self-related constructs not only significantly correlated with social anxiety but also with depression and other self-variables. When entered simultaneously, multiple regression analyses indicated that maladaptive self-beliefs were uniquely and positively associated with social anxiety and depression, while self-esteem and self-concept clarity were uniquely and negatively associated with social anxiety and depression. A unique positive association between private self-consciousness and depression was also found. Maladaptive self-beliefs and self-esteem were the constructs most strongly associated with social anxiety and depression respectively. These findings underscore the importance of a negative self-concept even in subclinical presentations and suggest that several key self-related constructs may represent transdiagnostic vulnerability factors linking social anxiety and depression. Future research should continue to uncover unique relationships between self-related variables and social anxiety and depression in both clinical and non-clinical samples.