A study by the University of Chichester indicates that more than a fifth of university students encounter some level of social anxiety during their studies. This condition has been associated with lower grades, poorer relationships, and feelings of isolation.
Social anxiety disorder, a more severe form, affects up to 12% of individuals at some point in their lives. Neil Greening, chair of the Social Anxiety Alliance UK, notes that people often internalise these feelings, viewing them as a personality flaw rather than a recognisable condition for which help is available.
Professor David Clark, a psychologist at the University of Oxford, suggests that individuals can take steps to help themselves, such as focusing outwardly in social situations and testing fears through behavioural experiments. He also advises against safety behaviours like rehearsing sentences or avoiding eye contact, and post-event rumination.