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Self-reported social anxiety symptoms and correlates in a clinical (CAP) and a community (Young-HUNT) adolescent sample

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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The frequencies of social anxiety symptoms in a mental health clinical and a community sample of adolescents are compared. Also, we explore if adolescents can be classified in subgroups based on social anxiety symptoms. Associations between social anxiety symptoms and coexisting problems and sociodemographic characteristics are examined.

Methods

Adolescent participants, aged 13–18, in two large Norwegian studies, consisting of a clinical (n = 694, 42.1 % participation rate, 55 % girls, mean age = 15.6) and a community (n = 7,694, 73.1 % participation rate, 51 % girls, mean age = 15.8) sample completed identical self-report questionnaires measuring social anxiety and related variables.

Results

Median sum scores (interquartile range) of social anxiety symptoms were higher among girls than boys and in the clinical [girls = 16 (12–22); boys = 12 (9–16)] compared to the community sample [girls = 12 (9–15); boys = 10 (7–12)] (p < 0.001). Latent profile analysis revealed two classes of adolescents based on social anxiety profiles. Adolescents scoring high on social anxiety symptoms, which ranged from 16 % (boys in community sample) to 40 % (girls in clinical sample), had significantly more coexisting problems than those scoring low. Social anxiety symptoms were associated with academic school problems, bullying, eating problems, acne, and general anxiety and depression in both samples.

Conclusion

Social anxiety symptoms were commonly reported by adolescents, in both clinical and community settings. These symptoms were associated with a broad spectrum of coexisting problems, which can be used to detect adolescents struggling with social anxiety. Adolescent, family, peer, school, and community interventions targeting these associated problems may contribute to prevent and alleviate social anxiety symptoms.

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Notes

  1. Further details on these analyses are available from the authors.

  2. With regard to the item on suicidal thoughts, the probability of missing values in the community sample was completely specified by the observed variable “age”. Thus, because age was included in the imputation models, it was feasible to impute the missing values on the item on suicidal thoughts.

  3. Further details are available from the authors.

Abbreviations

HUNT:

The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study

Young-HUNT:

The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study part for adolescents ages 13 through 19

CAP:

Child and adolescent psychiatry

SPAI-C:

Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children

SCL:

Symptom Check List

ICD-10:

International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision

LPA:

Latent profile analysis

MI:

Multiple imputation

RMSEA:

Root mean square error of approximation

BIC:

Bayesian information criterion

CR:

Composite reliability

IQR:

Interquartile range

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Acknowledgments

The Health Survey in Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (The CAP study) is a collaboration between Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, St. Olav’s Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, and The Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare (RKBU), Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim. The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (The HUNT Study) is a collaboration between HUNT Research Centre (Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology NTNU), Nord-Trøndelag County Council, Central Norway Health Authority, and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Financial support was provided by Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, St. Olav’s Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, and The Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare (RKBU), Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim.

Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare (RKBU Central Norway), Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Pb. 8905, MTFS, 7491, Trondheim, Norway

    Ingunn Ranøyen, Thomas Jozefiak, Stian Lydersen & Marit S. Indredavik

  2. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, St. Olavs Hospital, Postboks 6810, Elgeseter, 7433, Trondheim, Norway

    Ingunn Ranøyen, Thomas Jozefiak & Marit S. Indredavik

  3. Psychological Sciences and Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, 5200 North Lake Rd, Merced, CA, 95343, USA

    Jan Wallander

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  1. Ingunn Ranøyen
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Correspondence to Ingunn Ranøyen.

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Ranøyen, I., Jozefiak, T., Wallander, J. et al. Self-reported social anxiety symptoms and correlates in a clinical (CAP) and a community (Young-HUNT) adolescent sample. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 49, 1937–1949 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-014-0888-y

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