Social anxiety disorder in children and young people

Social anxiety disorder in children and young people

From CPD eLearning talks to... by Royal College of Psychiatrists

June 12, 2026 · 48 min

About this episode

The episode discusses social anxiety disorder in children and young people, exploring its clinical presentation, treatment options, and related factors.

Social anxiety disorder is a common yet often overlooked condition in children and adolescents, with significant impacts on education, relationships, and long-term outcomes. In this podcast, Dr Myooran Canagaratnam speaks with Professor Eleanor Leigh, from the University of Oxford about the clinical presentation of social anxiety in young people, including how it differs from typical shyness, and the cognitive mechanisms that maintain it. The episode explores evidence based treatment for social anxiety disorder in practice. It also considers developmental risk factors, comorbidity including autism, and the emerging role of digital interventions in improving access to care for children and young people with the condition. Disclaimer: Thank you for listening to this Royal College of Psychiatrists CPD eLearning podcast. This podcast provides information, not advice. The content in this podcast is provided for general information only and is not intended to, and does not amount to, advice that you should rely on. It is not an alternative to specific, professional advice. Although we make reasonable efforts to present accurate information in our podcasts, we make no representations…

People in this episode

Host: Dr Myooran Canagaratnam

Guest: Professor Eleanor Leigh

Topics covered

  • social anxiety disorder
  • children and adolescents
  • clinical presentation
  • evidence based treatment
  • developmental risk factors
  • digital interventions

Keywords

  • social anxiety
  • children
  • adolescents
  • treatment
  • comorbidity
  • digital interventions
  • education
  • relationships

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Oxford, Royal College of Psychiatrists

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