A new study published in Psychiatry Research looked at social anxiety disorder in Canada and the sociodemographic and psychosocial correlates.
“Over my 30 years of teaching university students, I’ve had a front-row seat to changes in student well-being,” study author Esme Fuller-Thomson told us. “In roughly the past decade, I’ve seen a notable rise in severe social anxiety that can be quite debilitating. That observation motivated our team to examine whether this shift was visible across the broader Canadian population.”
Social anxiety is intense fear of social situations. Someone suffering from social anxiety may feel like they’re being judged negatively by others. The lifetime prevalence of social anxiety disorder in the US is 13%, while in Canada, the rate is 14.6% in those aged 15 and older.
The researchers analyzed data from 2022 Mental Health and Access to Care Survey which surveyed Canadians aged 15 and older. The researchers found that the lifetime prevalence of social anxiety disorder has increased significantly in Canada.
“The sheer scale among younger adults was particularly striking,” Fuller-Thomson told us. “Roughly one-quarter of Canadians aged 20 to 24 have experienced social anxiety disorder at some point.”
With regards to what might be driving these trends, Fuller-Thomson explained that while we cannot determine cause and effect from this study, there are several likely contributors.
“One is the growing dominance of smartphones and social media, which may limit opportunities to build confidence through in-person interaction,” Fuller-Thomson told us. “Another is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted social development and increased isolation, especially during formative years.”
In terms of what frontline clinicians should watch for, and how they should respond, Fuller-Thomson explained that healthcare providers should be attentive to patients who report intense fear or discomfort in social or performance situations, who avoid routine interactions, or who experience marked distress in everyday environments such as school, work, or medical appointments.
“If symptoms are impairing functioning, referral for mental health care is advisable,” Fuller-Thomson told us. “particularly for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which has strong evidence supporting its effectiveness.”
