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The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Social Anxiety: A Systematic Review

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  • Reuben Kindred

    (Department of Psychological Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, John St, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia)

  • Glen W. Bates

    (Department of Psychological Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, John St, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in negative mental health outcomes throughout the world, and its impact on social interactions and relationships is likely to be evident in problematic social anxiety. This systematic review qualitatively synthesized data from studies that have reported on the effects of the pandemic on social anxiety. A systematic search of Web of Science Core Collection, Embase, PsychINFO, Scopus, EBSCOhost, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Proquest Central—Dissertations and Theses was conducted, with thirty-three studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The results suggest that social anxiety has been heightened in the general population due to the pandemic, with women and low-income earners being especially vulnerable. Other contributing factors include impaired coping strategies, lower socio-emotional well-being, limited support networks, and contraction of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Individuals with a Social Anxiety Disorder diagnosis may be at risk of a deterioration of mental health in general. Limitations of the literature reviewed include the predominance of cross-sectional study designs, which limit causal inferences are limited. Additionally, associations may be inflated as many studies have not accounted for mediating variables. Taken together, the research suggests that social anxiety, either pre-pandemic or arising due to the pandemic environment, has contributed to a variety of negative mental health outcomes related to social anxiety.

Suggested Citation

  • Reuben Kindred & Glen W. Bates, 2023. "The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Social Anxiety: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-28, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:3:p:2362-:d:1049997
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Serina Chang & Emma Pierson & Pang Wei Koh & Jaline Gerardin & Beth Redbird & David Grusky & Jure Leskovec, 2021. "Mobility network models of COVID-19 explain inequities and inform reopening," Nature, Nature, vol. 589(7840), pages 82-87, January.
    2. Quintana-Domeque Climent & Proto Eugenio, 2022. "On the Persistence of Mental Health Deterioration during the COVID-19 Pandemic by Sex and Ethnicity in the UK: Evidence from Understanding Society," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 22(2), pages 361-372, April.
    3. Finiki Nearchou & Clodagh Flinn & Rachel Niland & Sheena Siva Subramaniam & Eilis Hennessy, 2020. "Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-19, November.
    4. Viechtbauer, Wolfgang, 2010. "Conducting Meta-Analyses in R with the metafor Package," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 36(i03).
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