Girls are a lot more anxious than boys about being judged negatively

NTU don who led study says social anxiety problems can have long-term repercussions

- Theresa Tan Senior Social Affairs Correspondent

Girls go through a sharp spike in social anxiety – the intense fear of being judged negatively in social situations – between the ages of 8½ and 13. By the age of 13, their social anxiety levels are significantly higher than boys’, according to a new local study led by NTU professor of psychology Setoh Peipei.

If left unchecked, social anxiety problems can have long-term repercussions for mental well-being, interpersonal relationships and academic or work performance later in life, said Prof Setoh. Her study is the first of its kind here to examine how different types of anxiety, such as separation anxiety and physical symptoms of anxiety, progress as children grow into early adolescence. This is defined as between the ages of 10 and 13.

It followed nearly 550 mother-child pairs over seven years. The children were asked at the age of six about their parents’ parenting behaviour, and their mothers also did questionnaires to assess their mental health. The children also completed questionnaires about their anxiety symptoms at the ages of 8½, 10 and 13.

The study was published online on Aug 30 in the journal Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology. Prof Setoh’s work comes on the back of national research showing that about four in 10 youth in Singapore experience anxiety symptoms severe enough that affect their daily life and require mental health intervention.

Prof Setoh said early adolescence often coincides with puberty, which is a period marked by complex physical, emotional and social changes for the child.