Social phobia was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third edition (DSM-III).
[3] In the DSM-III-R and DSM-IV revisions, further expansion of the social phobia definition were included to better assess fears in social-interaction situations.
However, lack of empirical data made it difficult to differentiate and relate different types of feared situations and social interactions.
[6] The scale is composed of 24 items divided into 2 subscales, 13 concerning performance anxiety, and 11 pertaining to social situations.
Scores in this range often are accompanied by great distress and difficulty in social functioning, and are also commonly seen in persons entering treatment for the generalized type of SAD.
[2][8][9] The specific subtype of social anxiety disorder involves fear of one or several kinds of social/performance situations (often public speaking.
[12][13][14] In another study, Heimberg et al. (1999) also found that the LSAS is closely related to other scales, including the HRSD, BDI and the HAMA.
Studies by Baker and colleagues have shown a high reliability and validity to the self-report questionnaire, consistent with the clinician-administered version of the LSAS, with the only exception being the fear subscale of performance situations.
The self-report version of the Scale has been extensively tested on the Spanish population, with results high in validity and reliability.
[20] Recent studies have also established the structural validity of the French version of the test, including reliable internal consistency and other psychometric properties.