Social Anxiety and Mental Health Service Use Among Asian American High School Students

Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2015 Oct;46(5):693-701. doi: 10.1007/s10578-014-0511-1.

Abstract

Asian American adults endorse more symptoms of social anxiety (SA) on self-report measures than European Americans, but demonstrate lower prevalence rates of SA disorder in epidemiological studies. These divergent results create ambiguity concerning the mental health needs of Asian Americans. The present study is the first to investigate this issue in adolescents through assessment of self-reported SA in Asian American high school students. Parent and self-ratings of impairment related to SA and self-reported mental health service use for SA were also measured. Asian American students endorsed a greater number of SA symptoms and scored in the clinical range more frequently than other ethnic groups. Also, Asian American and Latino students endorsed more school impairment related to SA than other ethnic groups. No differences in parent-reported impairment or service utilization were identified. Implications for future research and treatment for SA among Asian American adolescents are discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Anxiety / ethnology*
  • Asian / psychology*
  • Black or African American / psychology*
  • Female
  • Hispanic or Latino / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mass Screening
  • Mental Health / ethnology
  • Mental Health Services / statistics & numerical data*
  • Phobic Disorders / ethnology*
  • Schools
  • Self Report
  • Students / psychology*
  • White People / psychology*
  • Young Adult