title: The prevalence and comorbidity of social anxiety disorder among United States Latinos: a retrospective analysis of data from 2 national surveys.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is increasingly being recognized as a prevalent, unremitting, and highly comorbid disorder, yet studies focusing on this disorder among US Latinos and immigrant populations are not available. This article evaluates ethnic differences in the prevalence and comorbidity of SAD as well as the clinical and demographic characteristics associated with SAD. Cultural and contextual factors associated with risk of SAD are also examined within the Latino population more specifically.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data are analyzed from the National Latino and Asian American Study and the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication. Both studies utilized the World Health Organization-Composite International Diagnostic Interview, which estimates the prevalence of lifetime and 12-month psychiatric disorders according to DSM-IV criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Latinos reported a lower lifetime and 12-month SAD prevalence and a later age at onset than US-born non-Latino whites. On the other hand, Latinos diagnosed with 12-month SAD reported higher impairment across home, work, and relationship domains than their non-Latino white counterparts. Relative to non-Latino whites, Latinos who entered the United States after the age of 21 years were less likely to have lifetime SAD comorbidity with drug abuse and dependence and more likely to report lifetime SAD comorbidity with agoraphobia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pattern of risk and associated characteristics of SAD varies for Latinos as compared to non-Latino whites. This is reflected by differences between these 2 groups across SAD prevalence, onset, impairment, and comorbidity. The particularly high comorbidity found with agoraphobia among Latinos who arrive in the United States as adults suggests that cultural factors and timing of immigration play a role in the manifestation and course of anxiety disorders. Interventions designed to decrease the levels of impairment associated with SAD are needed as well as efforts to target Latinos suffering from this disorder, specifically.
authors: Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. apolo@depaul.edu
authors: Antonio J
authors: AJ
authors: Polo
authors: Margarita
authors: M
authors: Alegría
authors: Chih-Nan
authors: CN
authors: Chen
authors: Carlos
authors: C
authors: Blanco
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019303:Multilingualism; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult