WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new Canadian study has found that social anxiety disorder (SAD) affects nearly one in seven adults, making it one of the country's most common mental health conditions. The findings, published in Psychiatry Research, showed that the number of people experiencing social anxiety has increased by 71% since 2002.
'Social anxiety is becoming more common in Canada, and understanding why this increase is happening is essential for improving mental health support,' said Tak-Lai Nellie Chau from the University of Toronto.
To reach this conclusion, researchers analyzed data from the 2022 Canadian Mental Health and Access to Care Survey, which included 8,716 adults aged 20 and older. The study found that nearly 14% of Canadian adults have experienced social anxiety disorder at some point in their lives, compared with just over 8% two decades ago. Younger adults were much more likely to report social anxiety than older adults. About 24% of those aged 20 to 24 had experienced the condition, compared with only 6.2% of people aged 65 and above. Researchers suggested that increased reliance on digital communication and fewer face-to-face interactions may be contributing factors.
The study also highlighted the impact of childhood experiences. People who had experienced sexual abuse during childhood or witnessed domestic violence were more likely to develop social anxiety disorder later in life. In addition, social anxiety was often linked to other health challenges, including chronic pain, multiple medical conditions, and substance use disorders.
'These findings highlight the importance of a life course approach to understanding mental health,' said Esme Fuller-Thomson, Director of the Institute for Life Course and Aging, and Professor at the FIFSW, University of Toronto. 'Childhood experiences can cast a long shadow on adult mental health'.
Researchers also found that people with limited social support were significantly more likely to experience social anxiety. On the other hand, individuals who said spirituality played an important role in their lives were less likely to struggle with the disorder.
'While our study did not test treatments directly, there is strong evidence from other research that cognitive behavioural therapy can be highly effective for social anxiety. Given that one in four young Canadians are affected, improving access to these evidence-based supports is essential,' suggested Fuller-Thomson.
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