Abstract

This study evaluated the socio-demographic characteristics and social phobia levels of 385 secondary school students in the Thi-Qar Governorate of Iraq. Using a descriptive, cross-sectional design, data were collected via questionnaires and analyzed with IBM SPSS 20.0. Results indicated that students, predominantly from nuclear families and moderate-income homes, exhibited mild to moderate social phobia (M±SD = 32.47±7.852). Permissive parenting styles were linked to higher social phobia, with notable differences between mothers' and fathers' influences. The study underscores the need for school-based psychological support programs and calls for further research with larger, more diverse samples.

Highlight: 

• Students exhibited mild to moderate social phobia (M±SD = 32.47±7.852).
• Permissive parenting styles linked to higher social phobia.
• Recommends school-based psychological support programs.

Keyword:  socio-demographic, social phobia, secondary students, parenting styles, Iraq

Pendahuluan

Social phobia is a social phenomenon that is debilitating and is defined by a persistent dread of social situations as a result of the expectation of negative judgment by others. (Abdown & Hussein, 2022;Mak et al., 2020) Mak et al., 2020). The prevalence of Social phobia is estimated to be around 12% (Baji & Mohammed, 2019; Saadon & Neaama, 2020) Lipson et al., 2022). Shyness must be distinguished from social phobia, as the latter does not result in significant mental disability or disrupt the majority of life events. The quality of life of the individual affected by social phobia is significantly impacted. Educational achievement can be compromised, leading to a higher likelihood of early schooling and a decline in academic performance and qualifications. (Baji & Mohammed, 2022; Mohammed, 2023). Compared to the general population, individuals with generalized social phobia had 10% reduced wages, according to a survey. (Salih, 2017;Horenstein & Heimberg, 2020). Individuals with social phobia typically have a smaller circle of acquaintances and experience greater difficulty bonding with them. (Jefferies & Ungar, 2020).

Students and teenagers commonly feel social phobia as their main psychological concern. It not only affects their daily communication but also has an impact on their mental health. Social phobia is a common human phenomenon characterized by a profound fear of being evaluated by others in social situations (Hussein, 2008; Zubizarreta et al., 2019). Untreated social phobia has the potential to develop into social phobia disorder. Social phobia is prevalent during the early to middle stages of adolescence (Khalaf, 2023; Mak et al., 2020). Few research conducted in Iraq have revealed that adolescents have become a vulnerable demographic group for social phobia (Mak et al., 2020; Mousa, 2023). The incidence of social phobia disorder among teenagers aged 13 to 24 has reached 8% (Abd, 2019; Mak et al., 2020). Aside from hereditary characteristics, students’ social phobia can be influenced by several other factors, including information processing, parental upbringing and modelling, and family functioning (Mak et al., 2020; H. Raja & Sajit, 2018).

Metode

A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the parenting styles and their effects on social phobia in students. One noticeable advantage of this study is its capacity to make simultaneous comparisons of several parameters among the participating students.

This investigation implemented two instruments for data acquisition: 1) The sociodemographic characteristics of the elderly were obtained through a demographic data questionnaire that was developed by the researchers for this study. 2) The Social Phobia Scale (SPS), which is based on the work of Mattick and Clarke (1998), comprises 17 items.

The researcher conducted interviews with the participants (students), provided them with instructions, addressed their inquiries, encouraged them to participate, and expressed gratitude for their assistance. Interview procedures were conducted on an individual basis, and each interview lasted 15–20 minutes following the completion of the necessary steps for the study design.

All subsequent analyses were implemented with IBM SPSS 20.0. The variables were classified using whole numbers and percentages (No. and %), while the mean and standard deviation were used to define the continuous variables (mean and SD). Correlational analysis was implemented to determine the relationship between the numerous variables. A two-tailed p.05 threshold was employed to ascertain statistical significance.

Hasil dan Pembahasan

f: Frequency, %: Percentage, M: Mean, SD: Standard deviation

Table (1) shows that the analysis in table 3-1 shows that 52.9% of students are males and 47% of them are females. The average age for students refers to 16±2 years and more half of them are seen with age group of 13-less than 16 year among 55.3% of them. The family type refers to nuclear family as reported among 80% of students and 20% of them are reported they lived in extended family.

The number of family members refers to 5-10 as reported by 80.3% of students while 15.8% reported more than 11 family members. Regarding house ownership, 86.2% of students admit that they are living in an owned house but only 13.5% of them reported that their houses are rented. Concerning residency, 56.9% of students are resident in rural, 26.2% are resident in sub-urban and 16.9% are resident in urban.

M: Mean for total score, SD: Standard Deviation for total score, Ass: Assessment

This table indicates that students are associated with a mild to moderate level of social phobia (M±SD= 32.47±7.852). Specifically, 38.7% of students are experiencing mild social phobia, while 32.5% are experiencing moderate social phobia.

This table manifests that there is significant relationship among students’ social phobia with number of family members and residency at p-values= .007 and .009 respectively.

This study suggested that students have a low to moderate level of social phobia, which contradicts the conclusions of (Hajure & Abdu, 2020; Karam & Mohammed, 2022; Kata & Sajit, 2023) research. Their research entailed a comprehensive examination of a carefully selected group of 523 undergraduate students, with the objective of ascertaining the frequency of social anxiety disorder, identifying the characteristics linked to it, and assessing its influence on quality of life. All participants successfully completed both the Social Phobia Inventory and the Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale. The findings indicated that among the 523 participants, 26% were identified as having social anxiety disorder (Assar & Salman, 2022). Approximately 69.4% and 17.4% of the students exhibited mild and moderate signs of social anxiety disorder, respectively. The results of the WHOQOL BREF-TR survey indicated that students with social phobia experienced a significantly diminished quality of life compared to those without social phobia. The scenarios that elicited the greatest apprehension were encountering disapproval from others or participating in social gatherings (Salah & Ahmed, 2021). The act of engaging with unfamiliar individuals was the situation that was most frequently avoided. An investigation using logistic regression revealed a strong association between symptoms of social phobia and certain characteristics, such as being female, currently using tobacco, and having a family history of psychiatric disease (Al-ghzy & Ma’ala, 2021; Mohammed, 2015; Sandstrom & Boothby, 2021).

Most students typically fear conversing with strange folks and shy away from giving speeches. This is consistent with the results of (Hasan & Mohammed, 2022; James, 2020; Sabah & Ghanim, 2018; Sandstrom & Boothby, 2021) research, which investigated students' concerns about not enjoying discussions, feeling unhappy with themselves, and having inadequate conversational skills. We analyze the intensity of these anxieties and determine their correlation with verbal communication patterns, finding that most students experience anxiety when talking to unfamiliar people, which suggests a type of social phobia (Gardi, 2016; Maala, 2019; H. A. Raja & Sajit, 2018; Sandstrom & Boothby, 2021; Zan & Khudhair, 2012).

Simpulan

This study findings revealed that the level of social phobia among secondary students are moderate to low with a degree of parenting styles related to their mothers and fathers called permissiveness parenting style. Parents of students with social phobia utilize distinct parenting practices that result in the emergence of social anxiety symptoms in their students. These parenting techniques have also been linked to negative consequences in students, including heightened phobia and social anxiety, as well as emotional difficulties. Inadequate research has been undertaken on the specific parenting traits displayed by parents of students who experience social phobia. Prior research has predominantly concentrated on examining the attributes of mothers, with limited investigation into men displaying signs of social anxiety. Moreover, the research has conflicting results regarding the parenting methods employed by men in comparison to mothers, contributing to the complexity of the topic. The majority of studies indicate a robust correlation between women's parenting strategies and the level of anxiety exhibited by their students. Family structure and socioeconomic background also exert an effect on this relationship. However, another set of data suggests that the way fathers’ parent is more closely related to students' anxiety symptoms. Therefore, it is crucial to resolve the existing contradictory results in order to accelerate progress in the industry efficiently

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