A community-based telephone survey of social anxiety disorder in Hong Kong.
BACKGROUND
Research on the prevalence and characteristics of social anxiety disorder (SAD) is lacking in Chinese communities.


METHODS
A random telephone survey of 3006 individuals aged 15-45 years in Hong Kong was conducted using a questionnaire that generated DSM-IV diagnosis and other clinical characteristics of SAD.


RESULTS
3.2% of the participants surveyed met criteria for SAD in the previous year. Their demographic and clinical characteristics are typical. Only 8.7% of sufferers sought medical treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
No clinical reappraisal was conducted. Severity and comorbidity of SAD were not examined.


CONCLUSIONS
SAD is a cross-culturally real illness. The prevalence, chronicity, and under-treatment of SAD in Chinese people calls for further research and efforts to reduce its treatment gap.
Lee
Sing
S
Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. singlee@cuhk.edu.hk
Lee
Margaret T Y
MT
Kwok
Kathleen
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D003710:Demography; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013689:Telephone