title: Dimensional assessment of DSM-5 social anxiety symptoms among university students and its relationship with functional impairment.
abstract: Social anxiety disorder is a common condition often associated with severe impairment in educational career. The aim of this paper was to evaluate prevalence rates and correlates of mild, moderate, and severe forms of social anxiety spectrum in a large sample of university students. Overall, 717 university students were assessed with the Social Anxiety Spectrum Self-Report questionnaire. Using two cut-off scores, 61.4% of subjects were classified as low scorers, 10% as medium scorers, and 28.6% as high scorers. Both high and medium scorers reported fears related to social situations. Interpersonal sensitivity and specific phobias were more common among women with low scores. Childhood/adolescence social anxiety features were more common among males with medium scores. Behavioral inhibition was more common among males with high scores. Functional impairment was severe among high scorers and, to a lesser extent, among medium scorers. Social anxiety spectrum is largely represented among university students. Future studies should investigate whether sufferers of social phobia underachieve or end their professional objectives prematurely.
authors: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Liliana
authors: L
authors: Dell'Osso
authors: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Marianna
authors: M
authors: Abelli
authors: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Pini
authors: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Marina
authors: M
authors: Carlini
authors: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Carpita
authors: Prorectorate to Students Affairs and Right to Education, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Elisabetta
authors: E
authors: Macchi
authors: Prorectorate to Students Affairs and Right to Education, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Federica
authors: F
authors: Gorrasi
authors: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Mengali
authors: Prorectorate to Students Affairs and Right to Education, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Rosalba
authors: R
authors: Tognetti
authors: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Gabriele
authors: G
authors: Massimetti
keywords: DSM-5; behavioral inhibition; gender; self-rating; social anxiety spectrum; subthreshold