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Social phobia in Swedish adolescents

Prevalence and gender differences

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Abstract

Background

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of self-reported social phobia in a community sample of Swedish adolescents in junior high school, at the risk-period for developing social phobia. Of particular interest was to investigate gender differences in prevalence across ages. Prevalence of sub-threshold social phobia was also studied.

Methods

Students in grades 6–8 (aged 12–14) from seventeen schools in five Swedish municipalities were screened by means of a self-report questionnaire, the social phobia screening questionnaire-for children (SPSQ-C).

Results

Data from a sample of 2,128 students were analysed and showed a point-prevalence rate of 4.4% (95%CI 3.5–5.2) and a significant gender difference (6.6% girls vs. 1.8% boys, P < 0.001). No significant differences in prevalence of probable cases emerged across the ages. At sub-threshold level, marked social fear of at least one social situation was reported by 13.8% of the total group. “Speaking in front of class” and “calling someone unfamiliar on the phone” were the most feared social situations. In the social phobia group, 91.4% reported impairment in the school-domain due to their social fear.

Conclusion

Social phobia is a common psychiatric condition in Swedish adolescents, especially in girls. As impairment in the school-domain is reported to a high degree, professionals and teachers need to recognize social phobia in adolescents so that help in overcoming the difficulties can be offered.

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Acknowledgment

This study was supported by the Sven Jerring Foundation, the Mayflower Foundation, the Research Council of South-Eastern Sweden (FORSS), the Swedish Psychiatry Foundation and the Organon Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Linköping University, 581 85, Linköping, Sweden

    Malin Gren-Landell MSc & Carl Göran Svedin

  2. Dept. of Behavioural, Social and Legal Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden

    Maria Tillfors

  3. Dept. of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

    Tomas Furmark & Gunilla Bohlin

  4. Dept. of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, The Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

    Gerhard Andersson

  5. Dept. of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Gerhard Andersson

Authors
  1. Malin Gren-Landell MSc
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  2. Maria Tillfors
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  3. Tomas Furmark
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  4. Gunilla Bohlin
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Correspondence to Malin Gren-Landell MSc.

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Gren-Landell, M., Tillfors, M., Furmark, T. et al. Social phobia in Swedish adolescents. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 44, 1–7 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0400-7

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