--- title: "University Students Struggle with Social Anxiety Disorder" url: https://noti.group/university-students-struggle-with-social-anxiety-disorder/ language: en publisher: "Noti Group" section: "Health" published: 2026-09-30T00:44:50.000Z updated: 2026-10-02T02:37:53.202Z id: 48ef70fd-9a06-4224-9df9-e0d56eb8da0a source: "BBC News Health https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm4gl1yllg6po?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss" attribution: "Link to https://noti.group/university-students-struggle-with-social-anxiety-disorder/ and name Noti Group when you quote or summarize this story." --- # University Students Struggle with Social Anxiety Disorder Research suggests that more than a fifth of university students struggle with social anxiety, which has been linked to lower grades, strained relationships, and feelings of isolation. For many students returning to university this month, social anxiety is a daunting reality that can make everyday interactions feel overwhelming. Mary's experience is not unique, she was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, which affects up to 12% of people at some point in their lives. Her condition worsened during her teenage years and forced her to withdraw from group settings even as she started university. The fear of being rejected or judged by others can be crippling, leading individuals like Mary to avoid social interactions altogether. Research suggests that more than a fifth of university students struggle with social anxiety, which has been linked to lower grades, strained relationships, and feelings of isolation. Moving away from home to attend university can be an exciting and daunting experience for many students. The expectation is often that they will quickly form new friendships and settle into campus life. However, for some individuals, this transition period can exacerbate existing social anxiety issues or even trigger new ones. One student who experienced this firsthand was Mary, who attended the University of Exeter. She recalls trying to join a university society but being overwhelmed by the prospect of interacting with others. When faced with social situations, people with social anxiety often report experiencing physical symptoms such as heat rising in their face and tingling sensations in their hands. They may also feel disconnected from their body or struggle to form words. For Mary, these experiences were intense enough that she would often leave social situations feeling ashamed and flawed. According to Neil Greening, chair of the Social Anxiety Alliance UK, this sense of shame and self-doubt is a common trait among individuals with social anxiety. He suggests that people struggling with these feelings often internalize their condition, viewing it as a personal failing rather than a treatable mental health issue. Social anxiety can be a debilitating condition that prevents people from engaging in everyday activities and interactions. When individuals experience social anxiety, they often develop habits to avoid situations that trigger their anxiety. For example, some may use their phones as a crutch, constantly checking notifications or scrolling through social media to avoid face-to-face conversations. These avoidance behaviors can range from staying close to someone else in a group setting to sticking to safe topics of conversation, such as work-related subjects. By doing so, individuals attempt to minimize their anxiety levels and maintain a sense of control. Greening notes that increased smartphone use and remote working may be contributing factors to the worsening of social anxiety, leading to reduced social interactions and heightened anxiety levels. The gold standard treatment for social anxiety encourages individuals to reframe their thoughts and change their behaviors. To combat social anxiety, people can take steps to help themselves, according to Prof David Clark, a psychologist at the University of Oxford. He emphasizes that one crucial step is to break the habit of obsessive self-focus during social situations. People with social anxiety often scrutinize themselves constantly, worrying about how they appear or sound in front of others. Prof Clark advises individuals to shift their focus outwardly, concentrating on the conversation, other people, or their surroundings. This can help divert attention away from internalized fears and anxieties. He also suggests that individuals should test their fears through behavioral experiments, such as asking a question in a meeting or speaking up in a group. By engaging in these experiments, people with social anxiety can challenge their assumptions about negative outcomes and learn to cope with uncertainty. Prof Clark notes that safety behaviors, like rehearsing every sentence or avoiding eye contact, only exacerbate the problem. Additionally, individuals should avoid post-event rumination, which can distort perceptions of what actually occurred in a social situation. Individuals struggling with social anxiety often engage in negative thought patterns that can exacerbate their condition. For Mary, one of these habits was ruminating on past interactions, replaying them over and over in her mind. However, a conversation with a friend had a profound impact on her mindset, encouraging her to reevaluate her self-perception. By reframing her own abilities and potential, Mary has been able to push herself out of her comfort zone, taking small steps towards greater social engagement. This includes joining a postgraduate course with smaller group settings and an astronomy club, which have provided opportunities for growth in a more manageable environment. --- Source: [BBC News Health](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm4gl1yllg6po?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) Published by Noti Group: https://noti.group/university-students-struggle-with-social-anxiety-disorder/