Understanding Social Anxiety in Students: A Growing Concern

Do you know a young person who dreads oral presentations, feels ill at the thought of exams or skips school without an apparent reason? These might be signs of social anxiety disorder (SAD), a condition that significantly impacts young people's lives, particularly their ability to attend and participate in school. Let's dive into what social anxiety is, how it affects students, and what can be done to help.

What is Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)?

Social anxiety disorder is more than shyness and goes beyond the typical nerves one might feel before a presentation or meeting new people. It's a persistent fear of being judged or humiliated in social situations. SAD can start as early as the pre-teenage years, with the average onset at around 13 years old. SAD affects approximately 2.3% of young people aged between 12 and 17 per year and 2.3 million Australians during their lifetime.

For those affected, the thought of everyday social interactions can cause significant distress. Anxiety can manifest physically as stomachaches, headaches, or a racing heart and mentally as negative self-perceptions and constant worry about others' opinions.

Students with SAD might fear embarrassment, rejection, or failure. This can mean anxiety related to speaking up in class, participating in group activities, eating lunch in the cafeteria, or even just attending school. SAD often leads to avoidance behaviors and can severely impact a student's daily life.

The Difference Between Fear and Anxiety

While fear and anxiety are similar in some ways, they are not the same. Fear is an immediate, “in the moment” reaction to a threat. ??Anxiety, however, is more about anticipating future threats and worrying about them. ?

?Both fear and anxiety can be healthy and adaptive, a little bit of anxiety can motivate students to collaborate on group projects of focus learning to study for exams. It crosses over into social anxiety when the anxiety is out of proportion to the risk, worrying thoughts are intrusive and frequent, and distressing feelings relating to the situation happen most of the time.

A student with SAD might dread a school event weeks in advance, worrying about potential embarrassment or rejection.

The Impact on School Attendance

For many students with SAD, the anxiety becomes so overwhelming that it leads to school refusal. School refusal isn't the same as skipping school to hang out with friends; it’s a genuine inability to face the school environment due to overwhelming anxiety. On average, students with SAD miss 20 days of school per year. As a result, they miss out on crucial learning opportunities and social interactions, potentially impacting their academic performance and future prospects.

?Why do some young people develop SAD?

Several factors contribute to the development of SAD, including:

• Biological: Genetics and brain development play significant roles.
• Psychological: Traits like shyness and negative thinking patterns.
• Environmental: Experiences such as bullying, parenting styles, and life changes.

Neurological underpinnings of SAD

During adolescence, the brain undergoes significant changes, making it more susceptible to anxiety disorders like SAD. Brain regions and function, the communication between them, and an imbalance of brain chemicals are all thought to play a role.

Key brain regions

Key brain regions like the amygdala (which processes fear), the hippocampus (which stores memories), and the prefrontal cortex (which regulates emotions) can all play a part in SAD. In people with SAD, differences in volume have been noticed in the middle temporal gyrus, which is responsible for thinking about and processing our social interactions and emotions.

?Communication between brain regions

The uncinate fasciculus (rhymes with ridiculous) is a white matter tract involved in the communication between various parts of the brain responsible for communication, self-awareness, and social interaction. This is one of the last to develop, and differences in this tract have been noticed in young people with SAD.

?Imbalance of serotonin and dopamine

An imbalance between two neurotransmitters, serotonin and dopamine, within the fear and reward systems (e.g., the amygdala) is also thought to play a role in SAD, with the reuptake of dopamine related to the severity of symptoms.

?Supporting students with SAD

Recognizing SAD in students is the first step to providing help.

Signs and symptoms can include frequent physical complaints, avoiding social interactions, excessive fear of making mistakes, and a need for constant reassurance.

Schools can also play a vital role by creating a supportive environment. Strategies can include training teachers to recognize signs of SAD, adjusting teaching methods to reduce anxiety triggers, and fostering an inclusive and understanding school culture.

For example, large class sizes and a competitive environment can be anxiety-provoking, as can some classroom activities such as cold calling, volunteering to answer questions, group quizzes, and "think, pair, share."?

Each student is different, and it is important to engage them in developing an agreement to help them manage their anxiety. It is also comforting to know that help is available.

Professional Support

Professional help and treatment might be required. Some effective treatments include:

Psychoeducation: Teaching students and their families about SAD and developing effective coping strategies can empower them to better manage anxiety.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps students recognise negative thought patterns, gently challenge them and gradually face their fears in a way that feels safe.

Medications: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) can help balance brain chemicals like serotonin, reducing anxiety symptoms.

Resources for students, teachers, and parents

School Wellbeing Staff may be able to help with developing student agreements, strategies and resources. A range of freely available resources are also available for students, teachers, and parents. ?As a start:

• The Department for Education (South Australia) offers a range of classroom interoception skills development resources to help children and young people?connect to and learn to understand their bodies and emotions and develop a sense of belonging.
• Orygen provide a range of resources including a? guide for supporting school attendance
• Kids Helpline also provides resources and worksheets for helping students with anxiety, as does BeYou (affiliated with Beyond Blue), which includes downloadable resources.
• Conquer Social Anxiety offers information and strategies for students.

Conclusion

Social anxiety disorder is a significant challenge for many students, impacting their ability to attend and participate in school. By understanding the nature of SAD, recognizing its symptoms, and implementing effective treatment and support strategies, we can help students manage their anxiety and thrive both academically and socially, paving the way for a brighter, more confident future for all students.

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