Study population: 1,956 community-dwelling people with social phobia present in about 7%
Situations that may trigger anxiety in a person with a social phobia:
(1) need for social interaction
(2) need for a performance in front of others
Social interactions may include:
(1) talking with someone and sounding stupid or foolish
(2) interacting with an authority figure
(3) needing to make eye contact
(4) attending a social event (party, etc)
(5) returning something to a store
(6) being introduced to a stranger
Performance situations may include:
(7) public speaking
(8) speaking at a meeting or in a class
(9) walking into a room of people who are already seated
(10) using a bathroom away from home
(11) writing while someone is watching
(12) eating or drinking while someone is watching
where:
• 6 items are from the DSM-IV Social Phobia version 2.1: 1, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12.
|
Number of Items Feared
|
Percent of Study Population
|
|
0
|
60%
|
|
1 to 3
|
28%
|
|
4 to 6
|
8.6%
|
|
>= 7
|
3.4%
|
In general impairment increased with the number of items feared but no specific threshold was identified to define social phobia. Identifying situations that trigger fear can help guide interventions to reduce impairment and to improve social performance.
