Social Anxiety Disorder Statistics in the United States

Social anxiety disorder (SAD), also known as social phobia, is a mental health condition characterized by intense fear of social situations and being negatively judged by others. It is a serious disorder that affects millions of people in the United States, impacting daily life, relationships, and overall well-being.

Let’s look at the prevalence of social anxiety disorder in the U.S., its effects on different demographics, its comorbidities, and the challenges faced by individuals living with the condition.

Key Takeaways: 

• In 2020, 7% of U.S. adults, or 15 million people, experienced social anxiety disorder, with over 75% showing symptoms during childhood or adolescence.
• The U.S. had the highest prevalence of social anxiety disorder among seven studied countries in 2020, with 57.6% of participants surpassing the diagnostic threshold.
• By 2011, 9.1% of U.S. adolescents aged 13-18 had experienced social anxiety disorder in their lifetime.
• 3%-6.8% of children were diagnosed with social anxiety disorder in pediatric primary care settings in 2010.
• In 2011, 8.6% of adolescents had social anxiety disorder, with girls (10.8%) more likely to be affected than boys (8.6%).
• White Americans had the highest rate of social anxiety disorder in 2010, at 12.6%, compared to African Americans (8.6%) and Asian Americans (5.3%).
• Lifetime social anxiety disorder prevalence was 13.5% in women and 10.9% in men in 2018, with women also having a higher 12-month prevalence (8% vs. 5.8%).
• Men with social anxiety disorder had a higher rate of substance abuse in 2018, with 38.1% reporting alcohol abuse compared to 19.9% of women.
• Comorbid depression affected 51.3% of women with social anxiety disorder in 2018, compared to 45.2% of men.
• Women with social anxiety disorder also had a higher prevalence of lifetime panic disorder (19.6%) in 2018 compared to men (16.7%).
• 20%-70% of individuals with social anxiety disorder experience depression, with social anxiety often preceding depression.
• Around 20% of individuals with social anxiety disorder also met the criteria for eating disorders in 2020.
• In 2011, boys with social anxiety disorder had higher rates of cigarette abuse (4.9%) and illicit drug use (2.1%) compared to girls.

Social Anxiety Disorder Prevalence Among U.S. Adults

• According to Mental Health America, around 7% of American adults, or 15 million people, live with social anxiety disorder, with over 75% experiencing their first symptoms in childhood or early adolescence.
• Yale Medicine reports that as many as 13% of people in the United States struggle with social anxiety disorder or exhibit symptoms associated with it.
• A 2020 study by Jeffries and Ungar titled “Social Anxiety in Young People: A Prevalence Study in Seven Countries” found that the U.S. reported the highest prevalence of social anxiety disorder, with over half (57.6%) of surveyed participants surpassing the diagnostic threshold. 
• According to the 2022 Annual Report for The Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) which looked at college students seeking services at counseling centers nationally, around 20% of students were flagged by clinicians as having social anxiety as a primary concern during their initial counseling sessions between 2017 and 2021.
• According to the 2003 National Comorbidity Survey Replication by the National Institute of Mental Health: 
• An estimated 7.1% of U.S. adults experienced social anxiety disorder in the year before the survey. 

• Women had a higher past-year prevalence of social anxiety disorder (8.0%) compared to men (6.1%).
• Approximately 12.1% of U.S. adults experience social anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.
• Among adults with social anxiety disorder in the past year, 29.9% experienced serious impairment, 38.8% had moderate impairment, and 31.3% reported mild impairment, as measured by the Sheehan Disability Scale. 

Social Anxiety Disorder Prevalence Among U.S. Adolescents

• A 2011 study by Wu et al. titled “The Relationship Between Anxiety Disorders and Substance Use Among Adolescents in the Community: Specificity and Gender Differences” looked at survey responses from 781 adolescents in 2 American surveys and found that: 

• Among the participants, 18.4% were diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, with 8.6% specifically meeting the criteria for social phobia.
• Young girls had a higher rate of social anxiety disorder diagnosis (10.8%) as opposed to boys (8.6%). 

• According to a 2010 study by Hitchcock et al. titled “Recent Findings in Social Phobia Among Children and Adolescents”, in pediatric primary care settings, the rates of childhood social anxiety disorder range from 3% to 6.8%, while community-based studies show rates between 0.5% and 9.0%. 
• According to the data from the 2003 National Comorbidity Survey Replication by the National Institute of Mental Health:

• An estimated 9.1% of U.S. adolescents aged 13-18 experienced social anxiety disorder during their lifetime.
• Of adolescents with social anxiety disorder, 1.3% experienced severe impairment, based on DSM-IV criteria.
• The lifetime prevalence of social anxiety disorder was higher among female adolescents (11.2%) compared to male adolescents (7.0%).

Social Anxiety Disorder and Ethnicity

• According to a 2010 study by Asnaani et al. titled “A Cross-Ethnic Comparison of Lifetime Prevalence Rates of Anxiety Disorders”, White Americans were more likely to over-endorse symptoms of social anxiety disorders (12.6%) compared to other ethnicities in America. 

• According to a 2011 study by Polo et al. titled “The Prevalence and Comorbidity of Social Anxiety Disorder Among United States Latinos: A Retrospective Analysis of Data From 2 National Surveys”:

• The lifetime prevalence of social anxiety disorder was 7.7% among Latinos, while non-Latino Whites had a significantly higher lifetime prevalence of 13.3%.
• The prevalence of SAD in the past year was 4.5% among Latinos, compared to 7.8% among non-Latino Whites. 
• Non-Latino Whites were more likely to endorse the initial screening questions related to social fears (25.3%) compared to Latinos (16.3%).
• Non-Latino Whites reported an earlier onset for both lifetime (11.3 years) and past-year (11.5 years) SAD compared to Latinos, whose onset was later (14.4 years for past-year SAD).
• Among those with lifetime SAD, Latinos reported a higher average number of social fears (8.9) compared to non-Latino Whites (8.3).
• Around 30.4% of U.S.-born Latinos with social anxiety disorder also reported regularly abusing alcohol, higher than abuse rates among non-Latino Whites (26.2%). 

• U.S.-born Latinos with social anxiety disorder also had comorbid depressive disorders, with 48.7% reporting symptoms of major depression and 12.8% for dysthymia. This was roughly equal to comorbid depression in non-Latino Whites.
• U.S.-born Latinos with SAD also reported comorbid anxiety disorders, with generalized anxiety disorder being the most common for both Latinos (19.1%) and non-Latino Whites (24.7%). 

Gender and Social Anxiety Disorder Statistics

• A 2018 study by Asher et al. titled “Gender Differences in Social Anxiety Disorder” looked at data from the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication and found that: 
• Women were much more likely to have both lifetime SAD (13.5%) and 12-month SAD (8%) compared to men. 

• Men with social anxiety disorder exhibited a significantly higher rate for all substance use disorders compared to women, with alcohol abuse being the most common.

• Women with 12-month SAD reported a higher rate of experiencing major depressive episodes at 51.3% (212 respondents) compared to men with 12-month SAD at 45.2% (108 respondents). 
• Women with SAD also exhibited a higher rate of bipolar II disorder (7.7%) compared to men (4.6%).
• Women with 12-month SAD had a higher prevalence of lifetime panic disorder at 19.6% (81 participants) compared to 16.7% of men (40 participants).
• Lifetime specific phobia was significantly more common in women with 12-month SAD, affecting 48.9% (202 participants), compared to 36% of men (86 participants).
• Generalized anxiety disorder was reported by 31.2% of women with 12-month SAD (129 participants), higher than the 22.6% of men (54 participants) who reported the same condition.
• Posttraumatic stress disorder affected 28.1% of women with 12-month SAD (116 participants), more than double the rate in men, which was 12.1% (29 participants).
• Conduct disorder was more frequently observed among men with 12-month SAD, affecting 15.9% (38 participants), compared to 9.2% of women (38 participants).

• According to a 2012 literature review by McLean et al. titled “Gender Differences in Anxiety Disorders: Prevalence, Course of Illness, Comorbidity and Burden of Illness”, the prevalence of social anxiety disorder in America is higher among women (15.5%) compared to men (11.1%). 
• A 2012 study by Xu et al. based on data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) found that the lifetime prevalence of social anxiety disorder was 5.7% for women, compared to 4.2% for men. 

Social Anxiety Disorders and Other Mental Health Disorders

• According to a 2020 literature review by Kalin titled “The Critical Relationship Between Anxiety and Depression”, depression affects an estimated 20%-70% of people diagnosed with social anxiety disorder over their lifetime.
• According to a 2015 study by Wong et al. titled “Implicit Associations in Social Anxiety Disorder: The Effects of Comorbid Depression”, in nearly 70% of cases where individuals are diagnosed with both social anxiety and depression, social anxiety typically precedes the onset of depression.
• According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, approximately 1 in 5 individuals with social anxiety disorder also struggle with alcohol abuse or dependence.
• According to a 2013 study by Brady et al. titled “Substance Use Disorders and Anxiety: A Treatment Challenge for Social Workers”, around 20% of individuals with social anxiety disorder also go on to develop a substance use disorder. 
• A 2011 study by Wu et al. titled “The Relationship Between Anxiety Disorders and Substance Use Among Adolescents in the Community: Specificity and Gender Differences” looked at survey responses from 781 adolescents in 2 American surveys and found that: 
• Boys with social anxiety reported a significantly higher rate of both smoking/cigarette abuse (4.9%) and illicit drug use (2.1%) compared to girls of the same age. 

• Girls with social anxiety had higher reports of heavy drinking and alcohol abuse (1.4%) compared to boys (0.9%). 
• A 2004 study by Bulik et al. titled “Comorbidity of Anxiety Disorders With Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa” found that around 20% of study participants with an eating disorder also met the diagnostic criteria for social anxiety disorder.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Is Social Anxiety a Mental Illness?

Yes, social anxiety disorder is a mental health disorder recognized under the DSM-V. It is characterized by an intense fear of social situations, which impacts an individual’s daily functioning. 

Is Social Anxiety the Most Common Anxiety Disorder in the U.S.?

According to the American Psychiatric Association, social anxiety disorder is one of the most common anxiety disorders in the U.S. However, specific phobias are slightly more common. Learn more in our post called “Anxiety Statistics in the United States”.

Is Social Anxiety Associated With Depression?

Yes, multiple studies show that individuals with social anxiety are at risk of developing depression. Estimates suggest that between 20% and 70% of people with social anxiety experience depressive symptoms at some point in their lives.