Social phobia: Prevalence and diagnostic threshold

This article reviews the literature on the prevalence and demographic featu res of social phobia in both community and general medical settings. The ag e at onset of social phobia is examined, as are comorbid conditions. Import ant differences between social phobia as it appears in the community and in primary care settings are explored. We conclude that social phobia is comm on and associated with significant impairment in a number of life areas. We discuss the diagnostic threshold of social phobia and potential difficulti es in differentiating this disorder from other mental disorders.