Commentary about social avoidance and its significance in adolescents and young adults

Simon, Andor; Keller, Petra; Cattapan, Katja (2021). Commentary about social avoidance and its significance in adolescents and young adults. Psychiatry research, 297, p. 113718. Elsevier 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113718

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Social avoidance in young patients is a clinically worrisome phenomenon that characterizes impending schizophrenia, but that also constitutes a core phenomenon in avoidant personality disorder (AvPD), schizoid personality disorder (ScPD), and in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Especially in the absence of any other clinically relevant phenomena, understanding the origins of social avoidance may be one the most challenging tasks in assessing whether adolescents and young adults are at risk for developing schizophrenia. Descriptive and psychometric assessments only allow to comment on the absence or the presence of this phenomenon, but do not capture the origins and the meaning of social avoidance. Based on a narrative review, we highlight the importance of a phenomenological approach to unveil the Gestalt of social avoidance in these mental disorders, including and appraisal of the underlying mental structures and attachment styles. The phenomenological approach allows to distinguish the Gestalt of social avoidance between AvPD, ScPD, ASD, and beginning schizophrenia, to ensure correct diagnostic labelling and optimal treatment, and to avoid unwarranted stigmatization.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Review Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > University Psychiatric Services > University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy > Translational Research Center
04 Faculty of Medicine > University Psychiatric Services > University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy

UniBE Contributor:

Simon, Andor, Cattapan-Ludewig, Katja

Subjects:

600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health

ISSN:

0165-1781

Publisher:

Elsevier

Language:

English

Submitter:

Marlise Matti

Date Deposited:

21 Apr 2022 10:36

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 16:19

Publisher DOI:

10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113718

PubMed ID:

33465524

Uncontrolled Keywords:

Avoidant personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, phenomenology, attachment

BORIS DOI:

10.48350/169401

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/169401

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