Meng Yu1, Hui Zhou2, Meifang Wang3, Xinfeng Tang4. 1. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, Department of Psychology, Sun-Yat Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, P.R. China. Electronic address: yumeng23@mail.sysu.edu.cn. 2. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, Department of Psychology, Sun-Yat Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, P.R. China. 3. College of Elementary Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, P.R. China. 4. Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P.R. China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The main objective of the current study was to investigate the symptoms of social anxiety in Chinese adolescents by conducting latent profile analysis (LPA), a person-centered statistical approach, with items from the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A). METHOD: In total, a sample of 2,755 adolescents aged 11‒19 years were recruited from six urban public schools in the Beijing District and Sichuan Province, China. Latent profile analysis, regression mixture modelling, and multinomial logistical regression were adopted to investigate the latent profiles and profiles validity. RESULTS: A four-profile model was suggested as the optimum: low group with diffuse social anxiety, moderate group with difficulties in new situations, moderate group with cognitive disturbance, and high group with diffuse social anxiety. With regression mixture modelling, results showed a greater possibility for older adolescents and girls fall into the high group with diffuse social anxiety. Finally, to examine the validity and interpretability of the social anxiety profiles, two cognitive factors-post-event rumination and self-focused attention-were adopted for their potential to significantly predict the moderate and high group social anxiety profiles. CONCLUSIONS: The current study, which was the first effort to investigate the features of social anxiety among Chinese adolescents with LPA, supports an innovative model of social anxiety symptoms in a large, non-Western sample. Limitations and clinical implications are included.
BACKGROUND: The main objective of the current study was to investigate the symptoms of social anxiety in Chinese adolescents by conducting latent profile analysis (LPA), a person-centered statistical approach, with items from the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A). METHOD: In total, a sample of 2,755 adolescents aged 11‒19 years were recruited from six urban public schools in the Beijing District and Sichuan Province, China. Latent profile analysis, regression mixture modelling, and multinomial logistical regression were adopted to investigate the latent profiles and profiles validity. RESULTS: A four-profile model was suggested as the optimum: low group with diffuse social anxiety, moderate group with difficulties in new situations, moderate group with cognitive disturbance, and high group with diffuse social anxiety. With regression mixture modelling, results showed a greater possibility for older adolescents and girls fall into the high group with diffuse social anxiety. Finally, to examine the validity and interpretability of the social anxiety profiles, two cognitive factors-post-event rumination and self-focused attention-were adopted for their potential to significantly predict the moderate and high group social anxiety profiles. CONCLUSIONS: The current study, which was the first effort to investigate the features of social anxiety among Chinese adolescents with LPA, supports an innovative model of social anxiety symptoms in a large, non-Western sample. Limitations and clinical implications are included.
Authors: Yuzheng Wang; Jing Chen; Xiaoshuo Zhang; Xiaoxiao Lin; Yabin Sun; Ning Wang; Jinyan Wang; Fei Luo Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-10-10 Impact factor: 4.614