Changes of social anxiety in Chinese adolescents during 2002 ∼ 2020: An increasing trend and its relationship with social change

Abstract

As social anxiety is a key indicator measuring the mental health of adolescents, it is necessary to examine the changes in social anxiety level of Chinese adolescents with time. This research conducted a cross-temporal meta-analysis of 55 papers using the Interaction Anxious Scale (IAS) to investigate the changing trends and the influencing factors of adolescent social anxiety(N = 83893) from 2002 to 2020. The results showed that: (1) In the past 19 years, the score of social anxiety was significantly positively correlated with the year, indicating that social anxiety level of Chinese adolescents increased significantly year by year; (2) Score of social anxiety was significantly associated with four social indicators of economic condition (the residents’ consumption level) and social connectedness (the divorce rate, the family size, and the urbanization level), suggesting that social change may account for the rise in Chinese adolescents’ social anxiety level. This research explored the changing trend of social anxiety among Chinese adolescents in the past 19 years and served as a valuable reference for the intervention of Chinese adolescents’ social anxiety in practice.