Author(s)

Liao Caizhi ¹, Luo Zihan ¹, Lao Siyuan ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ College of Teachers, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610106, China

Corresponding Author

ABSTRACT

Social anxiety is an important part of mental health literacy for all people. This study used the literature method to sort out the research on middle school students' social anxiety in China Knowledge Network and Web of Science in the past 10 years, which mainly included three aspects: the current status of the survey on middle school students' social anxiety, factors affecting middle school students' social anxiety, and interventions for social anxiety. (1) The current status of the survey: middle school students' social anxiety has a wide range, and at the same time, students' transition from elementary school to middle school shows an increasing trend. (2) Influencing factors contain two aspects, which are internal factors (physiology, genetics, personal traits and cognition) and external factors (family and school environments). (3) Interventions for social anxiety include: psychotherapy, physical exercise, and modern technology.

KEYWORDS

CITE THIS PAPER

Liao Caizhi, Luo Zihan, Lao Siyuan, A study on the current situation, influencing factors and intervention of social anxiety among middle school students. Applied & Educational Psychology (2025) Vol. 6: 64-71. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/appep.2025.060110.

REFERENCES

[1] American Psychiatric Association D, American Psychiatric Association D S. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5[M]. Washington, DC: American psychiatric association, 2013.
[2] Rapee R M, Spence S H. The etiology of social phobia: Empirical evidence and an initial model[J]. Clinical psychology review, 2004, 24(7): 737-767.
[3] Jefferies P, Ungar M. Social anxiety in young people: a prevalence study in seven countries[J]. PloS one, 2020, 15(9): e0239133. 
[4] Stein D J, Lim C C W, Roest A M, et al. The cross-national epidemiology of social anxiety disorder: data from the World Mental Health Survey Initiative[J]. BMC medicine, 2017, 15: 1-21.
[5] Tang X, Liu Q, Cai F, et al. Prevalence of social anxiety disorder and symptoms among Chinese children, adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis[J]. Frontiers in Psychology, 2022, 13: 792356.
[6] Li Xia. A study of social anxiety and its influencing factors among first and second year students in a city[D]. Bengbu Medical College,2011.
[7] Shang J, Chen X, HE L, et al. Effect of maternal anxiety, depression, acceptance and psychological control on students' social anxiety[J]. Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science, 2012: 778-780.
[8] SU Shuge, REN Xiaofei, CHEN Fuli, LI Hongjie, WANG Yijun. A 4-year follow-up study of social anxiety detection rate among 694 students in Harbin[J]. Chinese Journal of Child Health,2015,23(5):465.
[9] Wu Y ,Zhao X ,Li Y , et al.The risk and protective factors in the development of childhood social anxiety symptoms among Chinese children[J].Psychiatry Research,2016,240: 103-109.
[10] Zu Liya. The relationship between parenting styles and social anxiety, the mediating role of interpersonal sensitivity, and intervention research in middle school students[D]. Central China Normal University, 2022. DOI:10.27159/d.cnki.ghzsu.2022.000408.
[11] Wang Mingzhong, Fan Cuiying, Zhou Zongkui, et al. Parental conflict affects depression and social anxiety in adolescents - based on cognitive-situational theory and emotional security theory[J]. Journal of Psychology, 2014, 46(01):90-100.
[12] Cong C W, Aik C P, Rabbani M, et al. Perceived parenting style and adolescents' social anxiety in Selangor, Malaysia[J]. Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia, 2020, 24(1): 17-23.
[13] Xu J, Ni S, Ran M, et al. The relationship between parenting styles and adolescents' social anxiety in migrant families: a study in Guangdong , China[J]. Frontiers in psychology, 2017, 8: 626.
[14] YANG Hanshu,WU Jingyi,LIU Wenjing,et al. Effects of parenting styles on anxiety levels of adolescents with social anxiety disorder[J]. Chinese Journal of Child Health, 2020,28(05):521-524.
[15] Kim, S. H.. Social psychology[M]. Beijing: Higher Education Press, 2010.
[16] XIN ZQ,CHI Liping,LIU Bingyuan. Social anxiety characteristics of junior high school students with different social status[J]. Chinese Journal of Mental Health,2004,(04):231-232+221.
[17] ZENG Chengwei,ZHANG Bin,ZHANG Anqi,et al. Longitudinal effects of school connectedness on adolescents' cell phone addiction: the role of social anxiety and parent-child attachment[J/OL]. Psychological Development and Education, 2024,(02):256-264[2024-11-10].
[18] Marek R, Strobel C, Bredy T W, et al. The amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex: partners in the fear circuit[J]. The Journal of physiology, 2013, 591(10): 2381-2391.
[19] Elizabeth J, King N, Ollendick T H, et al. Social anxiety disorder in children and youth: a research update on aetiological factors[J]. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 2006, 19(2): 151-163.
[20] Trilla I, Wnendt H, Dziobek I. Conditional effects of gaze on automatic imitation: the role of autistic traits[J]. Scientific Reports, 2020, 10(1): 15512.
[21] Buzzell GA, Troller - Renfree SV, Barker TV, et al. A neurobehavioral mechanism linking behaviorally inhibited temperament and later adolescent social anxiety. j Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2017;56(12):1097 - 1105.
[22] Ferber K A, Chen J, Tan N, et al. Perfectionism and social anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis[J]. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 2024. 
[23] PENG Shun,WANG Xia,NIU Gengfeng,et al. The effect of negative appraisal fear on social anxiety:A cognitive-behavioral model based on social anxiety[J]. Psychological Development and Education,2019,35(01):121-128.
[24] PENG Shuna,WANG Jindao,CHI Xuan,et al. A study on the current situation of quality of life and social anxiety and its correlation among middle school students in Meizhou City[J]. Medicine and Society,2018,31(01):66-68.
[25] Hope D A, Heimberg R G, Turk C L. Managing Social Anxiety: A Cognitive - Behavioral Therapy Approach (Client Workbook)[M]. San Antonio: The Psychological Corporation, 2000.
[26] Debra A. Hope, Richard G. Heimberg, Cynthia L. Turk. Managing Social Anxiety A Cognitive - Behavioral Therapy Approach Therapist Guide[M]. Oxford University Press, 2006.
[27] Heimberg R G, Dodge C S, Hope D A, et al. Cognitive behavioral group treatment of social phobia: Comparison to a credible placebo control[J]. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 1990, 14(1): 1-23.
[28] Hayes S C. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Relational Frame Theory, and the Third Wave of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies - Republished Article[J ]. Behav. Ther. 2016, 47(6): 869-885.
[29] Craske M G, Niles A N, Burklund L J, et al. Randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy for social phobia: Outcomes and moderators[J]. Journal of Consult. Clin. Psychol. 2014, 82(6): 1034-1048.
[30] E. Caletti, C. Massimo, S. Magliocca, et al. The role of acceptance and commitment therapy in the treatment of social anxiety: an updated scoping review[J]. Journal of Affective Disorders, 2022, 310(2): 174-182.
[31] Goldin P R, Gross J J. Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on emotion regulation in social anxiety disorder[J]. Emotion, 2010, 10(1): 83.
[32] Goldin P R, Morrison A S, Jazaieri H, et al. Trajectories of social anxiety, cognitive reappraisal, and mindfulness during an RCT of CBGT versus MBSR for social anxiety disorder[J]. Behavior Research and Therapy, 2017, 97(1): 1 - 13.
[33] Rebar A L, Stanton R, Geard D, et al. A meta-meta-analysis of the effect of physical activity on depression and anxiety in non-clinical adult populations[ J]. Health psychology review, 2015, 9(3): 366-378.
[34] Zika M A, Becker L. Physical activity as a treatment for social anxiety in clinical and non-clinical populations: a systematic review and three meta- analyses for different study designs[J]. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 2021, 15: 653108.
[35] Hedman E, Andersson G, Ljótsson B, et al. Internet - based cognitive behavior therapy vs. cognitive behavioral group therapy for social anxiety disorder : A randomized controlled non - inferiority trial[J]. PloS One, 2011, 6(10): e18001
[36] Olthuis J V, Watt M C, Bailey K, et al. Efficacy of e - mental health interventions for anxiety disorders: a meta - analysis[J]. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2016, 84(9): 796-813.
[37] Ivanova E, Lindner P, Ly K H, et al. Guided and unguided Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for social anxiety disorder and/or panic disorder provided via the Internet and a smartphone application: a randomized controlled trial[J]. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2016, 44(1): 27-35.
[38] Alexander Miloff, Arvid Marklund, Per Carlbring. the challenger app for social anxiety disorder: new advances in mobile psychological treatment[J]. Internet Interventions, 2015, 2(4): 382-391.
[39] Breazeal C, Dautenhahn K, Kanda T. Social robotics[M]//Springer handbook of robotics. Springer, 2016: 1935 - 1972.
[40] van den Berghe R, Verhagen J, Oudgenoeg - Paz O, van der Ven S, Leseman P. Social robots for language learning: a review[J]. Rev Educ Res, 2019, 89(2): 259 - 295. doi:10.3102/0034654318821286
[41] Wood L J, Dautenhahn K, Rainer A, Robins B, Lehmann H, Syrdal D S. Robot - mediated interviews - how effective is a humanoid robot as a tool for interviewing young children?[J]. PLoS One, 2013, 8(3): e59448. 
[42] Chen N T, Clarke P J, MacLeod C, Hickie I B, Guastella A J. Aberrant gaze patterns in social anxiety disorder: an eye movement assessment during public speaking[J]. J Exp Psychopathol, 2016, 7(1): 1 - 17.
[43] Kory - Westlund J M, Breazeal C. A long - term study of young children's rapport, social emulation, and language learning with a peer - like robot playmate in preschool[J]. Front Robot AI, 2019, 6: 81.
[44] Wood L J, Zaraki A, Robins B, Dautenhahn K. Developing kaspar: a humanoid robot for children with autism[J]. Int J Soc Robot, 2021, 13: 491 - 508.
[45] Bouchard S, Dumoulin S, Robillard G, et al. Virtual reality compared with in vivo exposure in the treatment of social anxiety disorder: a three - arm randomized controlled trial[J]. Br. J. Psychiatry J. Ment. Sci. 2017, 210(3): 276-283.
[46] Safir M P, Wallach H S, Bar - Zvi M. Virtual reality cognitive - behavior therapy for public speaking anxiety: one - year follow - up[J]. Behavior Modification, 2012, 36(2): 235 - 246. 
[47] Kampmann I L, Emmelkamp P M G, Hartanto D, et al. Exposure to virtual social interactions in the treatment of social anxiety disorder: a randomized controlled trial[J]. Behavior Research and Therapy, 2016, 77(2): 147 - 156.

Sponsors, Associates, and Links

• Advances in Educational Technology and Psychology
  
  
• Curriculum and Teaching Methodology
  
  
• Transactions on Comparative Education
  
  
• Advances in Vocational and Technical Education
  
  
• Adult and Higher Education