Guidance
This guideline covers recognising, assessing and treating social anxiety disorder (also known as ‘social phobia’) in children and young people (from school age to 17 years) and adults (aged 18 years and older). It aims to improve symptoms, educational, occupational and social functioning, and quality of life in people with social anxiety disorder.
Last reviewed: 21 May 2024
We simplified the guideline by removing recommendations on general principles of care that are covered in other NICE guidelines (for example, the NICE guideline on service user experience in adult mental health). This is a presentational change only, and no changes to practice are intended.
This guideline updates and replaces the section of NICE technology appraisal guidance 97 (February 2006) that deals with phobia.
Next review: This guidance will be reviewed if there is new evidence that is likely to change the recommendations.
Recommendations
This guideline includes recommendations on:
- general principles of care in mental health and general medical settings
- identification and assessment of adults
- interventions for adults
- identification and assessment of children and young people
- interventions for children and young people
- interventions that are not recommended
Who is it for?
- Healthcare professionals
- Improving access to psychological therapies (IAPT) services
- Commissioners and providers
- People who work in educational and other settings where healthcare or related interventions may be delivered
- Children, young people and adults with social anxiety disorder
- Families and carers of children, young people and adults with social anxiety disorder
Guideline development process
How we develop NICE guidelines
Your responsibility
The recommendations in this guideline represent the view of NICE, arrived at after careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, professionals and practitioners are expected to take this guideline fully into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences and values of their patients or the people using their service. It is not mandatory to apply the recommendations, and the guideline does not override the responsibility to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual, in consultation with them and their families and carers or guardian.
All problems (adverse events) related to a medicine or medical device used for treatment or in a procedure should be reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency using the Yellow Card Scheme.
Local commissioners and providers of healthcare have a responsibility to enable the guideline to be applied when individual professionals and people using services wish to use it. They should do so in the context of local and national priorities for funding and developing services, and in light of their duties to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, to advance equality of opportunity and to reduce health inequalities. Nothing in this guideline should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with complying with those duties.
Commissioners and providers have a responsibility to promote an environmentally sustainable health and care system and should assess and reduce the environmental impact of implementing NICE recommendations wherever possible.