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Latent class analysis of the feared situations of social anxiety disorder: A population‐based study
Author(s) -
Peyre Hugo,
Hoertel Nicolas,
Rivollier Fabrice,
Landman Benjamin,
McMahon Kibby,
Chevance Astrid,
Lemogne Cédric,
Delorme Richard,
Blanco Carlos,
Limosin Frédéric
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
depression and anxiety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.634
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1520-6394
pISSN - 1091-4269
DOI - 10.1002/da.22547
Subject(s) - mental health , psychology , latent class model , social anxiety , anxiety , national comorbidity survey , comorbidity , clinical psychology , population , generalized anxiety disorder , psychiatry , specifier , social class , medicine , environmental health , linguistics , statistics , philosophy , mathematics , noun , political science , noun phrase , law
Background Little is known about differences in mental health comorbidity and quality of life in individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) according to the number and the types of feared situations. Methods Using a US nationally representative sample, the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, we performed latent class analysis to compare the prevalence rates of mental disorders and quality of life measures across classes defined by the number and the types of feared social situations among individuals with SAD. Results Among the 2,448 participants with a lifetime diagnosis of SAD, we identified three classes of individuals who feared most social situations but differed in the number of feared social situations (generalized severe [ N = 378], generalized moderate [ N = 1,049] and generalized low [N = 443]) and a class of subjects who feared only performance situations [N = 578]. The magnitude of associations between each class and a wide range of mental disorders and quality of life measures were consistent with a continuum model, supporting that the deleterious effects of SAD on mental health may increase with the number of social situations feared. However, we found that individuals with the “performance only” specifier may constitute an exception to this model because these participants had significantly better mental health than other participants with SAD. Conclusions Our findings give additional support to the recent changes made in the DSM‐5, including the introduction of the “performance only” specifier and the removal of the “generalized” specifier to promote the dimensional approach of the number of social fears.