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Originalarbeit

Onlinekommunikation und soziale Angst

Eine Übersicht

Published Online:September 05, 2016https://doi.org/10.1026/1616-3443/a000360

Abstract

Zusammenfassung.Hintergrund: Es wird die Literatur zu folgenden Fragen gesichtet: 1) Nutzen Menschen mit sozialer Angst das Internet und Onlinekommunikation stärker als andere? 2) Ist der Gebrauch des Internets bei sozial Ängstlichen hilfreich, weil er soziale Kontakte fördert oder stellt er eine aufrechterhalten Bedingung dar, weil Realkontakte subjektiv weniger wichtig werden? 3) Erleichtert oder erschwert die Option Onlinekommunikation die Psychotherapie der sozialen Angststörung? Methoden: Die bis Juli 2015 in Web of Science, PubMed oder PsycINFO gelisteten Arbeiten zur Thematik wurden gesichtet. Ergebnisse: Die 43 identifizierten Studien belegen, dass Menschen mit sozialer Angst das Internet nicht stärker nutzen, auch nicht zur Anbahnung zwischenmenschlicher Beziehungen. Sie haben eher weniger Online-Beziehungen, nutzen aber gleichzeitig überproportional Online- gegenüber Face-to-face-Kommunikation, insbesondere zur Selbstregulation. Schlussfolgerungen: Vor- und Nachteile der Onlinekommunikation für den Verlauf der sozialen Angst lassen sich empirisch belegen, wobei klinische Studien noch völlig fehlen. Onlinekommunikation gehört zur Alltagsrealität von Patienten mit sozialer Angst und ist in der Psychoedukation zur Störung sowie in der Fallkonzeption zu berücksichtigen.


Online Communication and Social Anxiety: A Systematic Review

Abstract.Background and Aims: The present literature review addresses the following questions: (a) Do individuals with social anxiety use the Internet and, in particular, online communication more intensively than individuals without social anxiety? (b) Is online communication beneficial in decreasing social anxiety by supporting social contacts or is it a maintaining factor for social anxiety by decreasing the subjective importance of offline contacts? (c) Does the option of online communication aid or impede psychotherapy of social anxiety disorder? Method: We reviewed the relevant peer-reviewed publications listed in Web of Science, PubMed, or PsycINFO until July 2015. Results: The 43 studies included in this review do not support an association between social anxiety and online communication. Moreover, prior studies show that individuals with social anxiety do not initiate more social contacts online than do individuals without social anxiety. By contrast, studies consistently show that socially anxious individuals disproportionally prefer online versus offline communication and use online communication for self-regulation. Conclusion: The present review emphasizes the benefits and disadvantages of Internet use and particularly online communication for individuals with social anxiety. Social Internet use is integral in everyday life and its dynamics should be an essential part of the therapeutic considerations for and psychoeducation of patients with social anxiety.

Die mit * gekennzeichneten Arbeiten wurde in das systematische Review eingeschlossen.

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