Barriers to the treatment of social anxiety

Objective: This article evaluates barriers to treatment reported by adults with social anxiety who participated in the 1996 National Anxiety Disorders Screening Day. Method: The background characteristics of screening day par ticipants with symptoms of social anxiety (N=6,130) were compared with thos e of participants without social anxiety (N=4,507). Barriers to previous me ntal health treatment reported by participants with and without symptoms of social anxiety were compared. Results: Social anxiety was strongly associa ted with functional impairment, feelings of social isolation, and suicidal ideation. Compared to participants without social anxiety, those with socia l anxiety were significantly more likely to report that financial barriers, uncertainty over where to go for help, and fear of what others might think or say prevented them from seeking treatment. However, they were significa ntly less likely to report they avoided treatment because they did not beli eve they had an anxiety disorder. Roughly one-third (N=1,400 of 3,682, 38.0 %) of the participants with symptoms of social anxiety who were referred fo r further evaluation were specifically referred for an evaluation for socia l phobia. Conclusions: Social anxiety is associated with a distinct pattern of treatment barriers. Treatment access may be improved by building public awareness of locally available services, easing the psychological and fina ncial burden of entering treatment, and increasing health care professional s' awareness of its clinical significance.