Social Phobia and its Association with Academic Performance among Student of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Public speaking is a common academic activity. Social phobia is associated with fear of public speaking which affects educational achievement. However, few researches have examined the prevalence of social phobia among university students in Iran. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of social phobia among students of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran, and its impact on their academic performance. Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), Brief Version of Negative Evaluation Scale, and a questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics and academic performance were applied to 700 randomly selected students from Kerman University of Medical Sciences. The prevalence of social phobia among the university students was 40.6%. Grade Point Average (GPA) was not significantly different between the students with social phobia comparing to students without social phobia. Yet, students with social phobia believed that fear of speaking in public had negative effects on their academic performance. In this study, only 4.1% of students with social phobia have been visited by psychiatrists. Preventive strategies are recommended to reduce the under-recognition and the adverse impact of social phobia on academic performance of university students.