Summary and critical review of an article entitled, “Shyness and Social Phobia: A Social Work Perspective on a Problem in Living”.
This paper offers a review, analysis, and critique of J. Walsh’s article on social phobias. The paper discusses the purpose of the article and the methods used for the experiment that the article reports on. The paper also provides a summary of the results of Walsh’s experiment and his recommendations. It concludes with a critical review of Walsh’s article.
The problem statement in this article is that social phobias and shyness is being conceptualized in terms of the parameters of mental disorder. This implies a tendency within the DSM to emphasize treatment via medication and thereby underplay the efficacy of interactive and other therapeutic remedies. The purpose of the article is to examine this possible imbalance in understanding social phobia and to review social anxiety and shyness – not necessarily as pathology – but rather in the light of social and interactive causation and treatment models. A central purpose of the article is to remove the stigmatization of personality characteristics that a categorization of mental disorder can have on those who suffer from social phobias. The author also stresses the effectiveness of many non-medical interventions.