Prevalence of Social Anxiety Disorder among Medical Students
A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study
Keywords:
Mental Health, Social Anxiety Disorder, Medical Students, PrevalenceAbstract
Introduction: Mental disorders, affecting around 800 million people globally, are a major public health concern. These issues often peak during the youth years and can impact individuals and their social lives. Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a mental health condition that can significantly impact academic performance by leading to avoidance behaviors in essential social activities.
Material and Methods: A validated Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale questionnaire was used to assess social anxiety disorder among the participants. A total of 200 students (131 females, 69 males) with a mean age of 22.87 ± 2.2 years participated in the study.
Results: The findings revealed that 37.5% of the respondents experienced some degree of social anxiety. The prevalence of social anxiety disorder differed significantly between genders and age groups, with younger students showing a higher prevalence. However, no significant association was found between the academic field and social anxiety disorder.
Conclusion: The study highlighted the high prevalence of social anxiety disorder among medical students, particularly in younger individuals. These findings underscore the importance of early identification and tailored intervention strategies to support affected students and improve their academic performance and overall well-being, in line with the global public health priority of focusing on the mental health of young people.
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