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Published on: December 15, 2023
Social phobia symptoms: prevalence and sociodemographic correlates
Siavash Talepasand1, Mostafa Nokani
1Department of Educational Sciences and Development of Handicapped Children, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran. stalepasand@semnan.ac.ir
Background:
Social phobia is a highly prevalent disorder in western countries, but is rather rare in eastern societies. Prevalence rates range from 0.5% in eastern studies and up to 16% in western studies. The present study examined the prevalence of social phobia in the Iranian general population and demographic characteristics associated with this anxiety disorder.
Methods:
Participants included 701 subjects from Golestan Province. Measures included the Social Phobia Inventory and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Demographic correlates of social phobia were also examined.
Results:
Probable social phobia was present in 10.1% of the total sample (8.6% male and 11.6% female). Sex, social support, residence, education, and job correlated with social phobia.
Conclusions:
Our findings corroborate those from other studies in western countries, both regarding the high prevalence of SP symptoms and its demographic correlates.
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