Pharmacophore an International Research Journal
Social anxiety disorder is a condition characterized by a marked and persistent fear of being humiliated or scrutinized by others. It is a common disorder, and it influences both career and education. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of social anxiety disorder among KSA college students, and its effect on their academic performance. This cross-sectional study was carried out by using the 17-item self-administered Social Phobia Inventory Scale (SPIN) survey to measure social anxiety. The questionnaire was distributed via web link on multiple social media websites to recruit participants. The study included 390 participants, 71.3% of them were females and 28.7% were males. 52.3% of participants were aged between 21- 25 years old. 10% of participants had very severe social anxiety, 12% had severe anxiety, 18% had moderate anxiety and 19% had mild anxiety. Regarding social engagement, 8% of participants had a low engagement level, 79% had a moderate engagement level, and 13% had a high engagement level. Social anxiety disorder was not associated with any of the sociodemographic characteristics of participants. However, there was a significance between SCEQ scores and some of the sociodemographic characteristics as age, academic year, marital status, and GPA. A noticeable percentage of undergraduates enrolled in different universities across the Kingdom had social anxiety disorder, making it a common health issue. Although the majority of it was low in severity, a sizable part was moderate, severe, or very severe.
