DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY 25:752–760 (2008) Research Article SYMPTOM PRESENTATION AND CLASSROOM FUNCTIONING IN A NONCLINICAL SAMPLE OF CHILDREN WITH SOCIAL PHOBIA Gail A. Bernstein, M.D., Ã Debra H. Bernat, Ph.D., Andrew A. Davis, and Ann E. Layne, Ph.D. This study investigates symptom presentation and school functioning in a nonclinical sample of children with social phobia (SP). Forty-five children with SP were identified via school-wide screenings and follow-up diagnostic inter- views. Analyses examined types and intensity of fears, number of social situations avoided, interpersonal relationships, and classroom functioning. To identify characteristics unique to social phobic children, children with SP (n 5 45) were compared to anxious children without SP (n 5 56) on the above variables. Comorbidity in children with SP and factors associated with SP severity were also evaluated. Compared to anxious children without SP, children with SP feared and avoided a significantly greater number of social situations. In addition, they were significantly more likely to have trouble with making friends and to prefer being alone rather than with peers. All children with SP met criteria for at least one comorbid disorder. Significant factors explaining child-reported severity of SP were number of social situations avoided and intensity of fears. Greater severity of SP was significantly associated with poorer social skills, poorer leadership skills, greater attention difficulties, and greater learning problems in the classroom. It is important to understand the symptom presentation of SP so that children with SP are identified early and effective interventions are instituted. This is especially critical given the impact of SP on school functioning. Depression and Anxiety 25:752–760, 2008. Published 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. y Key words: school children; anxiety; social anxiety INTRODUCTION Substantial research in adults indicates that social phobia (SP) is associated with social, educational, and occupational functional impairment, as well as depres- sion, drug abuse, and suicides attempts [Liebowitz et al., 1985; Pine et al., 1998; Schneier et al., 1992]. Among children and adolescents, prevalence rates of SP in epidemiological studies in the United States range from 0.3% [Costello et al., 1996] to 5.4% [Shaffer et al., 1996]. However, only a small number of studies have examined characteristics of SP in children and this research has been limited to clinic samples [Beidel et al., 1999; Ferrell et al., 2004; Francis et al., 1992; Spence et al., 1999; Strauss and Last, 1993]. Given the aforementioned sequelae of SP in adulthood, a sound understanding of early symptoms in childhood is warranted. Published online 7 June 2007 in Wiley InterScience (www. interscience.wiley.com). y This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America. DOI 10.1002/da.20315 Received for publication 29 August 2006; Revised 10 January 2007; Accepted 30 January 2007 Contract grant sponsor: National Institute of Mental Health; Contract grant number: R21 MH065369; Contract grant sponsor: University of Minnesota Academic Health Center; Minnesota Medical Foundation. Ã Correspondence to: Dr. Gail A. Bernstein, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, 2450 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454. E-mail: berns001@umn.edu Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota Published 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.