How Common Is Social Anxiety?

Jan 6

If you experience social anxiety, you may feel alone in the world. You might feel like no one can understand what you’re going through.

But the fact is that you’re far from alone -- Research shows that millions of people around the globe experience a level of social anxiety.

In fact, almost everybody in the world has experienced some form of social anxiety at some point in their lives.

At Alena, we want you to know that you are not alone, and be as informed as possible about social anxiety and your support options.

In this blog, we provide more information on exactly how common social anxiety is, along with some other social anxiety statistics.

How common is social anxiety disorder in the UK?

Social anxiety is a lot more common than you may think.

You are not alone with how you are feeling. Social anxiety is a very common challenge, which many people go through. In fact, it's impacted millions of people in the UK alone.

Social anxiety often goes unreported, and it’s often not recognized by professionals. This can make it difficult to say exactly how many people experience it.

Social anxiety also happens on a spectrum. Most people experience social anxiety at some point in their lives. For example, most people have felt anxious before a first date. For some, social anxiety becomes severe enough to warrant a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder.

‘Social anxiety disorder’ ’is the clinical diagnosis provided when social anxiety becomes long-term and severe, so that it starts to seriously impact your life. Research has shown that it’s the third most common mental health condition in the world.

Most studies measuring the prevalence of social anxiety disorder use a U.S.-based population. These studies have found that around 12% of the general population are diagnosed with social anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.

Currently, there are no epidemiological surveys that measure exactly how many people in the UK experience social anxiety. But if we apply the U.S. percentage to the UK population, that means that over 8 million people in the UK experience social anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Other reports estimate that every year, there are around 8 million people who are diagnosed with any type of anxiety disorder in the UK.

Many reports show that social anxiety is especially common amongst young people. One large study, which measured the prevalence of social anxiety in young people aged 19 to 26 across 7 different countries, found that over 1 in 3 young people globally met the criteria for a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder. This was almost 3 times higher than previous estimates of social anxiety in young people. In other words, social anxiety is a lot more common than we thought, and is widely present across diverse areas of the world.

Studies based in the UK have also found that around 22% -- some reports claim up to 80% -- of university students experience social anxiety.

Research shows that social anxiety is more common in women than in men. Around 75% of people with social anxiety begin to experience symptoms during their teenage years.

Why is social anxiety so common?

Apart from the 12% of the general population who experience social anxiety disorder at some point in their lives, almost everyone experiences social anxiety occasionally on a less severe basis.

It’s common to feel socially anxious during certain times in life -- in fact, we’d be hard-pressed to find someone who has never felt anxious in some type of social situation (whether it be during a job interview, on a first date, or while making a speech). So in many ways, social anxiety has always been a common human experience.

On top of that, people can develop heightened social anxiety due to:

A genetic predisposition
Early life negative social experiences, like bullying
Being conscious of having a physical appearance (like a scar) that you believe draws attention
Family history of social anxiety
Being in a new social or work situation
Having a susceptible temperament

We tend to assume that social anxiety (along with other mental health challenges) is more common today than it was in the past -- and some studies have found this to be true.

But other studies have found no evidence that rates of anxiety have increased.

In a study of the Epidemiology of anxiety disorders in the 21st century, they found that we may assume that anxiety rates have increased because people are now more comfortable seeking support for their mental health. The stigma against living with anxiety is, fortunately, decreasing.

Has the Covid-19 Pandemic impacted social anxiety?

One thing that did seem to have an impact on social anxiety levels was the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the World Health Organization, the world saw a 25% increase in rates of anxiety and depression due to the pandemic.

If you experience social anxiety, the pandemic may have had a mixed effect for you. Many who experience social anxiety have felt relieved during the lockdowns because of the lessened social interactions. But, this has also given us less practice in facing our fears, creating the avoidance safety behavior, which will make improvement harder in the long run.

The impact of social media on social anxiety

It’s often discussed that social anxiety is more common today because of the rise in social media. Research has found an association between social media use and social anxiety.

But the link between the two doesn’t necessarily mean that social media use causes increased social anxiety. It could be possible that if you experience social anxiety, you may also tend to use social media more, in order to connect with others in a way that feels safe and distanced.

But if you experience social anxiety, you may face the same problems in digital social interactions as you face in “real life” social interactions. For example, you might not post as much as other people, or you may spend a lot of time comparing others’ posts to your own. In other words, social media is not a cure for social anxiety. The underlying thoughts that define social anxiety continue to be present.

It’s important to note that this is still a topic that’s often researched, and other studies have also found no association between social media use and social anxiety.

Sign up for Alena, and take control of your social anxiety

You’re not alone. There are many other people experiencing social anxiety across the world, and there is hope for you to improve your quality of life and take control of your mental health.

Only 5% of people who experience social anxiety disorder seek help within the first year of starting to experience symptoms. And only around half of all people who experience social anxiety disorder ever seek treatment.

Don’t wait. You can start getting support for social anxiety today.

Alena is an evidence-based therapy app that uses neuroscience-based assessments and CBT modules to help you understand -- and change -- what drives your social anxiety. The app is due to launch in early 2023, when you will be able to access the app 24/7 in the comfort of your own home.