ABSTRACT

Background and objectives

Individuals with social anxiety (SA) have well-established fears of being negatively evaluated and exposing self-perceived flaws to others. However, the unique impacts of pre-existing SA on well-being and interpersonal outcomes within the stressful context of the pandemic are currently unknown.

Design

In a study that took place in May 2020, we surveyed 488 North American community participants online.

Methods

We used multiple linear regression to analyze whether retrospective reports of pre-pandemic SA symptoms predicted current coronavirus anxiety, loneliness, fears of negative evaluation, use of preventive measures, and affiliative outcomes, and whether pre-pandemic functional impairment and recent COVID-related stressors moderated these relations.

Results

Results highlighted the negative effects of pre-pandemic SA on current mental health functioning, especially for participants with higher pre-pandemic functional impairment and greater exposure to COVID-related stressors. Although participants with higher pre-pandemic SA reported currently feeling lonelier and more fearful of negative evaluation, they also endorsed greater efforts to affiliate with others.

Conclusions

High SA individuals may have heightened desire for social support within the isolating context of the pandemic, in which COVID-related social restrictions enable greater avoidance of social evaluation but may also mask the enduring impairment associated with pre-pandemic SA.

中文翻译：

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在 COVID-19 大流行的第一波期间，报告的大流行前社交焦虑、症状障碍和当前压力源对心理健康和附属调整的调节作用

摘要

背景和目标

患有社交焦虑症 (SA) 的人已经确立了对被负面评价和将自我感知的缺陷暴露给他人的恐惧。然而，在大流行的压力背景下，预先存在的 SA 对福祉和人际关系结果的独特影响目前尚不清楚。

设计

在 2020 年 5 月进行的一项研究中，我们在线调查了 488 名北美社区参与者。

方法

我们使用多元线性回归分析了大流行前 SA 症状的回顾性报告是否预测了当前的冠状病毒焦虑、孤独感、对负面评价的恐惧、预防措施的使用和附属结果，以及大流行前的功能障碍和最近的 COVID 相关压力源是否缓和了这些关系。

结果

结果强调了大流行前 SA 对当前心理健康功能的负面影响，特别是对于大流行前功能障碍较高且暴露于 COVID 相关压力源较多的参与者。尽管大流行前 SA 较高的参与者报告说目前感到更孤独，更害怕负面评价，但他们也赞同加大与他人交往的努力。

结论

高 SA 个体可能在大流行的孤立背景下更渴望社会支持，在这种情况下，与 COVID 相关的社会限制可以更好地避免社会评估，但也可能掩盖与大流行前 SA 相关的持久损害。