Social Anxiety and Social Anxiety Disorder Across Cultures

The current chapter explores the relationship between social anxiety, social anxiety disorder, and cultural factors. Cultural factors may influence the expression, development, or impact of social anxiety. The chapter begins with an evaluation of differences in the prevalence of social anxiety disorder across countries and then explores evidence of the impact of specific dimensions of culture on social anxiety, including individualism/collectivism and self-construal. Evidence is then examined for differences in the expression of social anxiety between cultures and exploration of the concept of culture-bound syndromes. Finally, the chapter concludes by considering the effects of culture on diagnosis and treatment of social anxiety disorder.