Key result
Female university students exhibited a significantly higher rate of severe social anxiety spectrum symptoms compared to males (32.5% vs 25.3%, p=0.034).
Cross-Sectional (n=823)
No
Absolute Event Rate: 32.5% vs 25.3%
p-value: p=0.034
Social anxiety spectrum symptoms are more frequent in female university students, while in males they are more frequently associated with early onset, behavioral inhibition, somatic symptoms, and alcohol consumption.
May support targeted screening in female students; cross-sectional data leaves causality and practice implications open.
BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to explore social anxiety spectrum gender differences, in a sample of university students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Overall, 823 University of Pisa students were assessed by Social Anxiety Spectrum Self-Report Questionnaire (SHYSR). Using a total score of 68 as the optimal diagnostic threshold, we classified students into two groups with levels of severity: low scorers (<68 items) and high scorers (≥68 items). RESULTS: Among females there was a significant higher rate of high scorers than males (32.5% vs 25.3%). Among the 13 most endorsed items (>60%), significant gender differences emerged for 6 items: females reported higher rates of items related to “Performance fears”, that seemed to confirm the new DSM-5 specifier named “Performance only”, while males reported higher rate in a single item related to “Behavioural inhibition”. Females showed a significant higher total score and “Specific anxieties and phobic features” and “Interpersonal sensitivity” domain scores compared to males, in low severity subgroup, and males showed significant higher “Social phobic traits during childhood and adolescence” and “Behavioural inhibition and somatic symptoms” domain scores compared to females in the high severity subgroup. Finally, rate of individuals declaring to consume alcohol was significantly higher in males than females. CONCLUSIONS: Among university students, social anxiety spectrum seems to be more frequent in females than males. In males, social anxiety spectrum is more frequently associated with an early onset, behavioural inhibition and somatic symptoms and, consequently, with higher severity.
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Dell’Osso et al. (2015) conducted a cross-sectional in Social anxiety spectrum symptoms (n=823). Female gender vs. Male gender was evaluated on High scorers (≥68 items) on the Social Anxiety Spectrum Self-Report Questionnaire (SHY-SR) (p=0.034). Female university students exhibited a significantly higher rate of severe social anxiety spectrum symptoms compared to males (32.5% vs 25.3%, p=0.034).
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