| Abstract: | Abstract. The aim of this paper is to provide the prevalence ratesof mild, moderate and severe symptoms of social anxiety in asample of high school students and to analyze gender differencesand associated impairment levels within these three levels ofseverity. Five hundred and twenty students were assessed withthe Social Anxiety Spectrum Self-Report (SHY-SR), aquestionnaire that explores social anxiety spectrum. By applyingtwo cut-off scores determined on a separate sample by using ROCanalysis, the large majority (73.3 %) of subjects wereclassified as low scorers, 9% as medium scorers and 17.7% ashigh scorers. Fears related to social situations were reportedboth by high and medium scorers. Functional impairment definedby avoidance and school difficulties was more common among highscorers, but it was also reported to a significant extent bymedium scorers. Compared to low and medium scorers, high scorersshowed a higher F/M ratio (about 4:1) and a more homogeneoussymptomatological profile in the two genders. In conclusion, ourreport confirms, in line with the literature, that even moderatelevels of social anxiety are associated with significantfunctional impairment and distress for the individuals. |
