Iranian Journal of

Background and Objectives: One of the most common anxiety disorders in children is social anxiety disorder (SAD). The purpose of the present study was to investigate the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of social anxiety disorder in students in Kermanshah, Iran.

Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study. The statistical population was all school students aged 13-17 years old in the secondary schools of Kermanshah. According to Krejcie and Morgan Table and multi-stage cluster sampling, 760 students were selected who completed a questionnaire on demographic variables as well as the Social Anxiety Scales for Children and Adolescents (SAS-CA). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis with the SPSS-19 software. P values≤0.05 were considered significant.

Results: The results showed that the prevalence of social anxiety disorder in the whole population was 80.18%. The prevalence was higher in female students than male students. The severity of social anxiety disorder was moderate in 12.25%, severe in 4.90%, and very severe in 1.70% of the students. Parental education, parental occupation, number of family members, average household income, and family history of psychiatric disorders had a significant relationship with the prevalence of SAD in students (P<0.05) but this relationship was not significant for the mode of delivery (P>0.05).

Conclusion: This study shows that the prevalence of social anxiety disorder is significantly high among middle school students. Therefore, it is important to consider early anxiety prevention/intervention programs, especially for children in this age group.