Dimensional assessment of DSM-5 social anxiety symptoms among university students and its relationship with functional impairment

Figures & data

Table 1 SHY-SR domains score: comparisons among low, medium, and high scorers

	Low scorers n=440 (61.4%)	Medium scorers n=72 (10%)	High scorers n=205 (28.6%)	ANOVA F (df=2,716, P<0.001)	Post hoc Scheffé’s pairwise comparisons (P<0.001)
CA	2.95±2.23	4.93±1.89	5.93±2.66	119.98	H > M > L
IPS	8.14±4.18	14.47±3.12	19.07±4.54	489.21	H > M > L
BI	4.25±2.70	7.24 ±2.96	11.28±3.81	366.22	H > M > L
SP	18.40±9.72	36.85±4.60	54.74±12.50	882.20	H > M > L

Notes: Data are presented as mean ± SD unless otherwise indicated.

Abbreviations: ANOVA, analysis of variance; BI, behavioral inhibition and somatic symptoms; CA, childhood and adolescence social anxiety features; H, high scorer; IPS, inter-personal sensitivity; L, low scorer; M, medium scorer; SHY-SR, self-report questionnaire of the Structured Clinical Interview for the Assessment of Social Anxiety Spectrum; SD, standard deviation; SP, specific phobias.

Table 2 SHY-SR domains scores: sex comparisons in low, medium, and high scorers

	Low scorers		Medium scorers		High scorers
	F (n=253)	M (n=187)	F (n=48)	M (n=24)	F (n=139)	M (n=66)
CA	2.82±2.26	3.12±2.19	4.60±1.81	5.58±1.91*	5.69±2.75	6.42±2.42
IPS	8.50±4.27*	7.65±4.02	14.33±3.34	14.75±2.66	18.81±4.54	19.61±4.53
BI	4.45±2.68	3.98±2.71	7.08±3.09	7.54±2.72	10.66±3.71	12.58±3.71*
SP	20.54±9.69*	16.14±9.19	37.54±4.70	35.46±4.13	54.91±12.37	54.38±12.84

Note:

* P<0.05.

Abbreviations: BI, behavioral inhibition and somatic symptoms; CA, childhood and adolescence social anxiety features; F, females; IPS, inter-personal sensitivity; M, males; SHY-SR, self-report questionnaire of the Structured Clinical Interview for the Assessment of Social Anxiety Spectrum; SP, specific phobias.

Table 3 Most common social situations and performances feared in the total sample and in the three severity groups

Question number	Question	Total sample (n=717)	Low scorers (n=440)	Medium scorers (n=72)	High scorers (n=205)	χ^2 (df=2)	P-value
36	Have you often felt more comfortable in small groups?	71.4	61.6	84.7	87.8	54.02	<0.001
150	Have you often felt embarrassed or uncomfortable when you had to express romantic feelings to someone you liked?	70.0	60.3	83.3	86.8	53.67	<0.001
108	Have you often felt embarrassed or uncomfortable that you might black out while performing or taking an oral examination?	63.9	60.5	88.9	83.4	48.77	<0.001
9	When you were a child or an adolescent, do you remember or have you ever been told that you felt embarrassed and uncomfortable speaking with people you didn’t know very well?	66.7	54.8	79.2	87.8	74.29	<0.001
1	When you were a child or an adolescent, do you remember or have you ever been told that you were very shy?	64.0	57.3	77.8	73.7	22.88	<0.001
26	Have you often felt you were physically unattractive?	63.6	50.5	80.6	85.9	85.64	<0.001
105	Have you often felt embarrassed or uncomfortable when taking an oral examination?	63.0	50.8	73.6	85.9	77.56	<0.001
11	When you were a child or an adolescent, do you remember or have you ever been told that you didn’t want to go to school because you were afraid that the other children would not stay with you and you would feel embarrassed and uncomfortable?	63.0	52.8	80.6	79.0	51.58	<0.001
103	Have you often felt embarrassed and uncomfortable when speaking, singing or dancing in front of others?	62.1	48.1	76.4	87.7	100.14	<0.001
146	Have you often felt embarrassed and uncomfortable when you had to ask someone you liked to go out on a date, like to a movie, to dinner or to a club?	61.5	49.8	70.8	83.9	71.66	<0.001
104	Have you often felt embarrassed and uncomfortable when performing in front of an audience?	61.2	50.0	70.8	82.0	63.25	<0.001
109	Do you worry a lot about having to perform in public or taking an oral examination, for any of these reasons?	60.4	43.9	83.3	87.8	130.49	<0.001

Note: All data are presented as percentages unless otherwise indicated.

Figure 1 Percentage of endorsement of the SHY-SR items related to avoidant behavior, arranged by decreasing frequency among high scorers (>68) as compared with medium (59–67) and low (0–58) scorers.

Notes: SHY-75 Speaking at a meeting; SHY-111 Oral examination; SHY-71 Using the telephone in the presence of other people; SHY-40 Expressing disagreement; SHY-122 Entering a crowded room; SHY-154 Dating; SHY-144 Organizing parties; SHY-102 Working in front of other people; SHY-89 Using a public restroom; SHY-110 Preparing for a performance; SHY-7 Sport activities and parties with school mates; SHY-129 Meeting strangers; SHY-3 Social life at school; SHY-118 Walking/driving; SHY-162 Shopping; SHY-77 Promotions; SHY-97 Eating in public; SHY-84 Signing official documents and writing in front of other people.
Abbreviation: SHY-SR, self-report questionnaire of the Structured Clinical Interview for the Assessment of Social Anxiety Spectrum.

Table 4 Odds ratios and 95% confidence interval of endorsing seven physical symptoms in social situations for subjects who reported experiencing physical symptoms during childhood/adolescence

Physical symptoms	OR	95% CI
Blushing	1.66	1.12–2.45
Trembling	3.69	2.44–5.58
Heart pounding	2.52	1.67–3.80
Excessive sweating	1.92	1.29–2.87
Feeling dizzy	3.13	1.71–5.75
Nausea, diarrhea or stomach ache	8.06	5.19–12.53
Urge to urinate	3.29	2.01–5.40

Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio.