Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Social Threat-Safety Test Uncovers Psychosocial Stress-Related Phenotypes
Published on: December 15, 2023
Predictors of social anxiety in an opioid dependent sample and a control sample
Fiona L Shand1, Louisa Degenhardt, Elliot C Nelson
1National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. fionas@unsw.edu.au
Abstract:
Compared to other mental health problems, social anxiety is under-acknowledged amongst opioid dependent populations. This study aimed to assess levels of social anxiety and identify its predictors in an opioid dependent sample and a matched control group. Opioid dependent participants (n=1385) and controls (n=417) completed the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) and a diagnostic interview. Regression analyses were used to test a range of predictors of social anxiety. Opioid dependent cases had higher mean scores on both scales compared to controls. Predictors of social anxiety centred on emotional rejection in childhood, either by parents or peers. For opioid dependent cases, but not controls, lifetime non-opioid substance dependence (cannabis, sedatives, and tobacco) was associated with higher levels of social anxiety. However, much of the variance in social anxiety remains unexplained for this population.
More Related Videos
09:14Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: March 14, 2025
09:54Combining Laser Capture Microdissection and Microfluidic qPCR to Analyze Transcriptional Profiles of Single Cells: A Systems Biology Approach to Opioid Dependence
Published on: March 8, 2020
Related Concept Videos
Social Anxiety Disorder
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood
Analgesia and Pain Management
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
Anxiety: Overview
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping