What is the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS)?

The LSAS is a clinician-administered rating scale designed to assess the range of social interaction and performance situations that individuals with social phobia may fear or avoid. It is widely considered the gold standard for measuring social anxiety disorder severity and is used extensively in research and clinical practice.

Who developed the LSAS and when?

Developed by Dr. Michael Liebowitz in 1987 at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. It was specifically created to provide a comprehensive assessment tool for social anxiety disorder (social phobia) that could capture both the fear and avoidance components of the condition.

What does the LSAS measure in detail?

• Fear/Anxiety Component: How much anxiety, fear, or embarrassment you experience in specific social situations (0-3 scale)
• Avoidance Component: How often you avoid these situations due to anxiety or discomfort (0-3 scale)
• Social Interaction Situations: 11 items covering interpersonal interactions like talking to strangers, being introduced, expressing disagreement
• Performance Situations: 13 items covering performance situations like speaking in public, eating/drinking in public, writing in public

What specific situations does the LSAS assess?

Social Interaction Situations:

• Talking to people in authority, strangers, or attractive persons
• Being introduced, expressing disagreement, giving personal information
• Calling someone you don't know well, meeting strangers
• Being the center of attention, being criticized or embarrassed

Performance Situations:

• Telephoning in public, participating in small groups
• Eating and drinking in public places
• Speaking up at meetings, giving a report to a group
• Working while being observed, entering a room when others are seated
• Being the center of attention, giving a party, resisting sales pressure

How is the LSAS scored and interpreted?

Total scores range from 0-144 (24 situations × 2 questions × 0-3 points each):

• 0-30: Low social anxiety
• 31-49: Mild social anxiety
• 50-64: Moderate social anxiety
• 65-79: Marked social anxiety
• 80-94: Severe social anxiety
• 95+: Very severe social anxiety

Subscale Scoring:

• Fear subscale: Sum of all fear ratings (0-72)
• Avoidance subscale: Sum of all avoidance ratings (0-72)
• Social Interaction subscale: Fear + Avoidance for social interaction items
• Performance subscale: Fear + Avoidance for performance items

Clinical Applications and Significance

The LSAS is used for:

• Diagnosing social anxiety disorder (social phobia)
• Measuring treatment response and progress
• Research on social anxiety interventions
• Identifying specific problematic situations for targeted treatment
• Distinguishing between generalized and specific social phobia