Date of Award

Fall 10-18-2021

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

PhD Nursing Practice

Department

Nursing

Advisor

Mary Ellen Roberts, DNP

Committee Member

Kimberly Conway, Ph.D

Committee Member

Dianne Aguero-Trotter, Ph.D.

Keywords

social anxiety, social anxiety disorder, college students

Abstract

Social anxiety is a type of anxiety triggered by social situations whereby the individual feels scrutinized by others, and which may contribute to avoidance of certain situations. This avoidance can interfere with personal, academic, and career endeavors. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help manage social anxiety. However, social anxiety is often underrecognized and
under treated. A survey with the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) was disseminated to identify and address this need among students in a large Northeastern university in the United States. The study is valuable as a pilot study. There was a small response rate for participation in the study, but the findings did indicate some possible trends. Data interpretations suggest females were more likely to take the survey and had higher scores on the LSAS as compared to males. Other findings indicated that students majoring in biological science scored higher than students
compared to other majors. Fear and avoidance for acting, performing, or giving a talk in front of an audience scored the highest by most of the respondents when compared to all other situations
for social anxiety. Future studies to guide interventions are warranted.

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