Early Interv Psychiatry. 2015 May 22. doi: 10.1111/eip.12247.
Cheng SH1,2, Sun ZJ3, Lee IH1,2,4, Lee CT5, Chen KC2,4,6, Tsai CH3, Yang YK2,7,4, Yang YC5,7,8.
Abstract
AIM:
The aim of this study was to explore the lifestyle/social, personality trait and mental factors among incoming university students with higher self-reported social anxiety symptoms (SAS).
METHODS:
A total of 5126 incoming university students were recruited. The test battery included a self-administered questionnaire that examined personal lifestyle, the Measurement of Support Functions, the Chinese Internet Addiction Scale-Revision, the Organizational Citizenship Behaviour Scale, the Social Phobia Inventory, the suicide ideation from the Brief Symptoms Rating Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire.
RESULTS:
SAS (23.7%) were prevalent. Using logistic regression analysis, we found that the significant predictors of higher levels of SAS were being an undergraduate student and a non-smoker, having lower Measurement of Support Functions score (poorer social support), having higher Chinese Internet Addiction Scale-Revision score (Internet addiction), having lower Organizational Citizenship Behaviour Scale score (less altruistic behaviour), having suicide ideation and having higher Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire score (poorer sleeper).
CONCLUSIONS:
Given the high prevalence of SAS among university students, it is necessary to build a better strategy to detect students with potential social anxiety-related problems/disorders or other mental problems early on.
KEYWORDS:
Internet addiction; altruism; social anxiety symptom; social support; university student
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