Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale

What it measures

The most widely used measure of social anxiety in clinical research. Assesses fear and avoidance across 24 social and performance situations. Primary outcome measure in most social anxiety disorder RCTs. Self-report version (LSAS-SR) freely available.

Response format

Two ratings per item: Fear (0=none to 3=severe) and Avoidance (0=never to 3=usually); total 0–144

Representative items

• Telephoning in public (Fear + Avoidance rated separately)
• Participating in small groups
• Eating in public places
• Being the centre of attention
• Giving a report to a group

Usage notes & scoring

Self-report version (LSAS-SR) freely available. Cut-offs: >=30 social anxiety disorder, >=60 generalised subtype. Fear and avoidance subscales may be analysed separately.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Fresco, D.M., Coles, M.E., Heimberg, R.G., Liebowitz, M.R., Hami, S., Stein, M.B., & Goetz, D. (2001). The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale: A comparison of the psychometric properties of self-report and clinician-administered formats. Psychological Medicine, 31(6), 1025–1035.

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