Social avoidance as a pathogenetic link between social anxiety disorder and posttraumatic experience

Social avoidance in the concept of “avoidance of corrective emotional experience” is regarded as one of the pathogenetic factors that affect the course and development of mental disorders and increase distress. We conducted a review of studies that studied the role of social avoidance in social anxiety disorder among individuals with or without post-traumatic experience. Inclusion criteria were: 1) subjects were diagnosed with social anxiety disorder; 2) social anxiety disorder and/or post-traumatic stress was a focus of the study; 3) some assessment or review impact of social avoidance was made; 4) subjects were adolescents or adults. The study of the role of avoiding social events as a traumatic trigger and related socially significant factors (stigma, discrimination, living at constant risk, etc.) indicates a correlation between the pathogenesis of social phobia and comorbid symptoms of post-traumatic distress. Managing social avoidance strategies and accepting the conscious experience of social interaction presupposes a person’s readiness to react flexibly, stay in contact with their emotions and thoughts, and not spend internal resources to get rid of the inner concerns. In our opinion, this will help reduce the perception of social events as a traumatic (retraumatic) factor, reduce clinically significant manifestations of social anxiety and prevent the development of posttraumatic distress. Limitations and implications of these findings for the psychological support and modifying psychotherapeutic interventions of social anxiety disorder are discussed.