Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats
Published on: February 22, 2018
Epidemiology of social phobia in later life
John Cairney1, Laura McCabe, Scott Veldhuizen
1Health Systems Research and Consulting Unit, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. john_cairney@camh.net
Objective:
Although anxiety disorders, including social phobia (SP), are common among older adults, very little is known about the epidemiology of SP in later life.
Method:
Using data drawn from a large, nationally representative sample of older adults from Canada (N=12,792), the authors estimate lifetime and 12-month prevalence of social phobia and examine demographic predictors and patterns of comorbidity of current SP in this population.
Results:
The results reveal that SP is a prevalent disorder in later life with lifetime and 12-month prevalence estimates of 4.94% and 1.32%, respectively. Current SP (12-month) declines with age and is more common in individuals with other psychiatric disorders. Interestingly, there is no correlation between current SP and gender, marital status, or socioeconomic status.
Conclusions:
SP remains a highly prevalent disorder even in late life with the pattern of feared/avoided situations being strikingly similar to that of younger populations.
Related Concept Videos
Social Anxiety Disorder
Preparedness and Phobias
Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adulthood
Intimacy Versus Isolation in Early Adulthood
Individuals in early adulthood, from the 20s...
Social Facilitation
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age