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Background: Self-image is the subjective perception about one's own self, body, mental functioning, social attitudes, and adjustment in different aspects of life. Research has linked negative self-image with a number of problem behaviors and psychiatric symptoms in adolescence; however, studies of the relationship between self-image and anxiety disorders are still scarce. Method: This study involved a community sample of 1305 high-school students (51.4% female) who ranged in age from 14 to 19 years old. They completed self-report measures of self-image and social anxiety disorder (SAD). Results: A quarter of the students reported high levels of social anxiety. Statistical analyses showed significant differences between these students and the other students in all the self-image subscales. Several dimensions of impaired self-image (emotional tone, social attitudes, vocational and educational goals, family relationships, external mastery, and psychological health) were associated with high levels of social anxiety, with some gender differences underpinning these relationships. Conclusions: Clinicians treating SAD in youth may wish to consider that a negative self-image may play a critical role in the onset and retention of social anxiety symptoms. Key Practitioner Message• Self-image is a multifaceted construct encompassing subjective perceptions about oneself, one's body, mental functioning, social attitudes and adjustment in different aspects of life.• Several self-image dimensions can be impaired in adolescents suffering from social anxiety disorder. • Treatment of adolescents suffering from social anxiety symptoms should take into account impairments in selfimage that may damage normal development and affect well-being.• Treatment of adolescents suffering from social anxiety symptoms should promote affect regulation, mastery, positive health behaviors, and the development of supportive peer-relationships.

While the transition to adulthood has been broadly examined, less is\ud known about the impact of economic recession on the well-being\ud and psychosocial functioning of young people. The present study\ud used qualitative interviews with 12 college students to understand\ud their experience. Consensual qualitative research was used to\ud analyse data and develop core themes around young people’s\ud experiences. Interviews focused on how young people perceived\ud the impact of the economic recession on their social context and\ud on emotional, behavioural, and interpersonal dimensions.\ud Although students showed a proactive attitude in dealing with\ud the crisis, findings highlighted a negative impact on psychological\ud functioning characterized by feelings of instability and\ud helplessness and by difficulties in planning for the future. Other\ud general themes emerged, including disengagement from\ud community participation expressed by feelings of isolation, lack of\ud interest, and distrust. Directions for future research and\ud implications for practice are discussed

The relationship between social anxiety (SA) and cannabis use among adolescents and young adults is a highly debated topic. In this cross-sectional study, we tested whether cannabis use expectancies mediated the association between SA and cannabis use severity in a sample of 343 young adults (74.3% male) who used cannabis. They completed self-report measures for the screening of problematic cannabis use (Cannabis Use Problems Identification Test) and SA symptoms (Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and Social Phobia Scale). A multiple mediation analysis was used to test whether marijuana effect expectancies mediate SA effect on problematic cannabis use. SA was negatively associated with cannabis use severity in this sample, and we found evidence that cannabis use expectancies fully mediated this relationship. Specifically, global negative effect expectancies influence the relationship between SA and problematic cannabis use. These findings may inform current prevention strategies and clinical intervention for young adults who use cannabis.

Cannabis use is frequently related to social anxiety in young adulthood, but the nature of this\ud relationship is unclear. Moreover, much research has been conducted on the role of cannabis\ud effects expectancies and their relationship to social anxiety among young adults, but less is\ud known about adolescence. The study examined the relationship between social anxiety,\ud cannabis use patterns, and cannabis effects expectancies among a nonclinical sample of\ud 1,305 adolescents (51% female). Non-users reported higher social anxiety scores than\ud non-problematic and risky users. Compared to users, non-users had more negative\ud expectancies. Risky and problematic users showed higher social and sexual facilitation\ud expectancies and perceptual and cognitive enhancement expectancies. In addition, social\ud anxiety was related to global negative expectancies and social and sexual facilitation\ud expectancies. Moreover, we found that among socially anxious adolescents, social and\ud sexual facilitation expectancies are dissuasive reasons to use cannabis. Clinical\ud implications and future directions are discussed