Objective: To explore the prevalence and risk factors of social anxiety disorder (SAD) in high schools and universities in Chengdu.
Methods: 2279 students in Chengdu sampled by optimum distributing delaminating grouping method were interviewed one-to-one by the trained psychiatrists according to SCID. Both the cooperated SAD patients (n=156) and the normal counterparts (NC, n=156) in the 2279 students completed Egma Minnen av Bardndosnauppforstran (EMBU), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Form Y), Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (FNE) and Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ).
Results: There were 179 SAD patients, 88 female ones and 91 male ones, in the 2279 students of the high schools and universities in Chengdu. Statistical analysis reveals that the SAD patients differ from the NC in seven aspects, i.e. growing circumstances (P = 0.049), family economical status(P = 0.000), family history of psychiatric disorder, scales of EMBU,STAI, FNE and DSQ.
Conclusion: The total prevalence of SAD in the students of high schools and universities in Chengdu was 8.15%, the female prevalence 8.35%, and the male prevalence 7.62%. The possible risk factors were: growing up in the countryside, low family economic state, parental rearing pattern being deficient in emotional warmth, understanding, trust and encouragement but excessive in refuse, denial and overprotection, having anxiety trait, feeling fear of negative evaluation, more likely to use neurotic and immature defense mechanism while less likely to use mature defense mechanism, having positive family mental disorder history.