Tuesday, November 9, 2004

SPOTLIGHT: Social anxiety disorder

‘Crippling shyness’

JUST OVER 2 million Canadians aged 15 or older have suffered shyness so crippling that they avoid social encounters, or face them with dread. Work situations can leave them feeling paralyzed.

Called social anxiety disorder, this affliction usually begins in childhood or early adolescence, and the symptoms often persist for decades, a new study shows.

The study, based on data from the mental health cycle of the 2002 Canadian Community Health Survey, provides further evidence supporting the description of the disorder as an "illness of lost opportunities" and “crippling shyness”.

About 2 million people, or 8% of the population, reported a "lifetime history" of social anxiety disorder, meaning that they had symptoms at some point in their lives.

Intense fear

People with social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, go through life feeling extremely uncomfortable or paralyzed in social or work situations because of their intense fear of being scrutinized or embarrassed.

The disorder is associated with lower educational attainment and reduced likelihood of employment, low income and dependence on welfare or social assistance, decreased likelihood of marriage or having a successful marriage, social isolation, higher rates of disability, and dissatisfaction with life and health.

The majority of sufferers do not seek professional help, and those who do often wait years before doing so.

In 2002 alone, about 750,000 Canadians aged 15 or older, or about 3% of the population, reported that they had had symptoms of the disorder in the past year. These individuals had a higher risk of having major depressive disorder, panic disorder and dependency on illicit drugs and alcohol than did people in the general population.

Young people

Young people aged 15 to 24 were more likely to have current social anxiety disorder than were middle-aged people, while individuals aged 55 or older were less likely. Women were slightly more likely than men to have both lifetime and current social anxiety disorder.

One striking feature of social anxiety disorder is its early age of onset. Symptoms typically begin appearing in childhood or early adolescence. Among individuals with a lifetime history of the disorder, the average age of onset was 13. The symptoms lasted an average of 20 years.

People who reported symptoms of social anxiety disorder in the 12 months before the survey were less likely to have jobs, and those who did have jobs, had lower personal incomes. They were also more likely to be financially dependent.

You can read the article "Social anxiety disorder – beyond shyness" on our website.

For more information, contact Margot Shields (613-951-4177), Health Statistics Division.

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© 2004, Statistics Canada.