Reference
Guide | Reference

57  Social Threat Pattern Prototype

57.1 Summary

  • A pattern marked by intense fear of negative evaluation, leading to avoidance or endurance with significant distress.

57.2 Prototype Features

  • Fear of embarrassment or rejection in social or performance settings.
  • Avoidance, safety behaviors, or prolonged anticipatory worry.
  • Physical symptoms in social contexts (blushing, tremor, nausea).

57.3 Threshold Guidance

  • Use when social fear drives avoidance or persistent distress in key roles.

57.4 Expected Domain Profile

  • Anxiety and Threat Sensitivity: moderate to high.
  • Social Communication and Relatedness: mild to moderate strain.

57.5 Time-Course and Trajectory

  • Situation-bound with anticipatory anxiety.
  • Often chronic without exposure to feared contexts.

57.6 Differential and Red Flags

  • Autism-related social communication differences.
  • Trauma-related social hypervigilance.
  • Mood dysregulation with social withdrawal.

57.7 Specifiers (treatment-relevant, non-prescriptive)

  • Course/time pattern (situational, chronic).
  • Contributors (bullying, discrimination, performance pressure).
  • Risk modifiers (avoidance severity).

57.8 Measurement Prompts

  • Brief social anxiety measure.
  • Avoidance tracking.

57.10 Documentation Snippet (1-2 lines)

  • “Marked fear of negative evaluation with avoidance; Threat 3, Social Relatedness 2; situational course.”