Social Anxiety Disorder in Women: Prevalence, Risk & Key Differences

Key things to know What the evidence shows
How common is it? Not established global sex-specific %; India 0.41% current
Is it more common among women? Globally higher than men overall
Are women at higher risk? Yes globally
How much higher is the risk? Female gender associated with elevated odds globally
How often can it be missed? High
Does it show up differently among women? Somewhat
How might it look different? Avoidance, fear of evaluation; internalized distress may dominate
What commonly occurs alongside it? MDD; GAD; other anxiety disorders
What can it be confused with? Avoidant personality disorder; GAD; panic disorder; autism
Common screening tool SPIN
Separate screening tool for women None
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