How many people have social anxiety disorder?

The NICE Social Anxiety Guidance (Full Guidance 2013) states there are no UK epidemiological surveys that specifically report data on social anxiety disorder in adults. However, section 2.1.2 goes on to quote “…it is clear that social anxiety is one of the most common of all the anxiety disorders”.

The NICE guidance above (page 15, section 2.1.2) also quotes “data from the U.S. National Comorbidity Survey reveals that social anxiety disorder is the third most common psychiatric condition after major depression and alcohol dependence (Kessler et al., 2005a).” The specific table that lists the disorders is at Kessler et al – Table 2.

The Kessler table above, and associated tables at the U.S. National Comorbidity Survey show U.S. lifetime prevalence at 12% (including mild, moderate and severe cases).

The NICE guidance also quotes that with U.S. strict clinical criteria and face to face interviews, lifetime prevalence is 5%. (Grant et al, 2005).

If the USA figures are replicated this would equate to over 2.5 million adults in the UK, with children and teenagers bringing the totals much higher.

Further USA data is available at www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/social-anxiety-disorder.

Adolescent prevalence rates in the UK are not currently known but USA data are at www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/social-anxiety-disorder – adolescents

Academic reference:
Kessler et al,. 2005a- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/208678