People at risk

Social anxiety appears most often during adolescence, although warning signs such as inhibition may appear during childhood. It can also start in adulthood, following a trauma.

Studies have shown that people who are single, widowed, divorced or separated are more affected by this form of phobia.^12,13.

Risk factors

Social phobia can start suddenly following a traumatic and / or humiliating event, such as teasing friends at school during an oral presentation.

It can also start in an insidious way: the person first feels embarrassment when confronted with the gaze of others which gradually turns into anxiety.

It can appear in a specific situation (public speaking) or generalize to all situations where the person is confronted with the gaze of others.