Social anxiety disorder among medical students in a tertiary care hospital in Davangere, Karnataka

Abstract

Background: Social anxiety disorder is a common psychiatric illness characterized by fear of being observed and scrutinized by others. It can impair academic performance and can lead to serious withdrawal from society and depression. The objective of the study was to measure the proportion and study the associated factors of Social Anxiety Disorder among students of a tertiary medical college and hospital.Methods: This hospital-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among the 272 medical students of a Tertiary care medical college and hospital at Davangere, Karnataka from October to December 2018. The social phobia inventory (SPIN) questionnaire was used to diagnose SAD among students.Results: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) was present among 30.5% (n=83) of the medical students. The female students (31.1%, n=45) documented a higher proportion of SAD compared to male students (29.9%, n=38). There was a higher incidence among above the 20 years age group and Muslims especially girl students.Conclusions: A higher proportion of medical students had social anxiety disorder which was influenced by increasing age, female gender, Muslim religion and higher academic years of exposure till final year.

<p>Social Anxiety Disorder Among Undergraduate Students of Hawassa University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ethiopia</p>

“…The overall prevalence of SAD in this study was 32.8%, and this finding is consistent with a similar study in the Ethiopian University of Gondar (31.2%), 21 and it is also in line with studies from universities of Iraq (28.3%), 7 Saudi Arabiya (29.8%), 18 India (30.5%) 19 and Australia (30.0%). 17 Agreement of these studies with our result can be explained by similar study population 7,[17][18][19]21 and using similar screening tool. 19,21 The prevalence of SAD in this study was higher than the study conducted in the UK (10%) 15 and Delhi, India (12.6%).…”

“…17 Agreement of these studies with our result can be explained by similar study population 7,[17][18][19]21 and using similar screening tool. 19,21 The prevalence of SAD in this study was higher than the study conducted in the UK (10%) 15 and Delhi, India (12.6%). 16 This difference might be because of sociocultural differences between the UK and Ethiopia.…”

“…1 In United Kingdom (UK), a cross-sectional study revealed a 10% prevalence of social anxiety in higher education students (n=1007) 15 and closer to this finding a study from India using Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) reported 12.6% prevalence of social phobia among undergraduate medical students. 16 A study with large sample size (n=4368) in Australia, 30% of first-year university students were reported to suffer from SAD, 17 similarly, a study from Iraq (n=198), 7 Saudi Arabia (n=283) 18 and India (n=272) 19 reported a prevalence of 28.3%, 29.8% and 30.5% SAD among medical students, respectively. Higher prevalence (44%) of SAD is observed in Egyptian undergraduate students (n=2919) 20 and 31.2% of health science students are reported to have SAD in the University of Gondar.…”

Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Internet Addiction in Chinese College Students Controlling for the Effects of Physical Exercise, Demographic, and Academic Variables

“…Studies have shown that 10% of college students in the United Kingdom suffer from SA ( Russell and Shaw, 2009 ). Further, 30% of newcomers suffered from SA in Australia ( Wilson, 2005 ), while the percentage of SA among students in medical specialties in Iraq, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and India was 28.3, 29.8, and 30.5%, respectively ( Ahmad et al, 2017 ; Hakami et al, 2017 ; Jarallah et al, 2017 ; Dsouza et al, 2019 ; Reta et al, 2020 ). SA has a significant negative impact on interpersonal relationships, work, and academic performance, such as increasing the risk of dropping out of school, reducing work efficiency, and affecting the quality of life ( Aderka et al, 2012 ; Jacobson et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Similarly, Ren and Li (2020) found that PE has a significant impact on the SA of left-behind children in rural Chinese areas. Moreover, some previously mentioned researchers from the United Kingdom, Austria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, India, and Ethiopia conducted studies in their own countries ( Wilson, 2005 ; Russell and Shaw, 2009 ; Ahmad et al, 2017 ; Hakami et al, 2017 ; Jarallah et al, 2017 ; Dsouza et al, 2019 ; Reta et al, 2020 ). However, few studies have examined the relationship between PE, IA, and SA in a group of Chinese college students.…”