Epidemiology of Social Phobia in Later Life

OBJECTIVE: Although anxiety disorders, including social phobia (SP), are common among older adults, very little is known about the epidemiology of SP in later life. METHOD: Using data drawn from a large, nationally representative sample of older adults from Canada (N=12,792), the authors estimate lifetime and 12-month prevalence of social phobia and examine demographic predictors and patterns of comorbidity of current SP in this population.