title: Shyness and social phobia in Israeli Jewish vs Arab students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Social anxiety disorder (SAD) has been repeatedly shown to be very prevalent in the Western society with prevalence rates of 10% or above. However, very few studies have been performed in the Middle East and in Arab countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 300 Israeli students participated in our study and were administered the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), the Cheek and Buss Shyness Questionnaire (CBSQ), and a sociodemographic questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 153 Jewish and 147 Arab students participated in the survey. Social anxiety disorder was found in 12.33% of the sample, according to the LSAS cutoff score of more than 60. The 2 subsamples had similar LSAS and CBSQ scores and similar SAD-positive rates (LSAS >60). Females had higher scores on the LSAS, as were those without a spouse and those who had been in psychological treatment. Based on a regression analysis, the significant predictors of the LSAS score were the CBSQ score and female sex. A very high correlation was found between the LSAS and the CBSQ scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although our sample is not representative of the whole Israeli population, we conclude that SAD and shyness were similarly prevalent in Jewish and Arab students in Israel. Social anxiety disorder scores were higher among females, those without a spouse, and those who received psychological treatment. Further studies on the clinical and cultural characteristics of SAD in Israeli subcultures would add to the growing body of knowledge on SAD in various cultures.
authors.affiliation: The Yavne Mental Health Clinic and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 81540, Israel. iulian1@bezeqint.net
authors.forename: Iulian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Iancu
authors.forename: Amiram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarel
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avital
authors.forename: Basheer
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Abdo
authors.forename: Samia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joubran
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ram
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018912:Arabs / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D007585:Jews / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D012792:Shyness; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult