Social anxiety is a common, yet complex mental health condition characterized by intense fear of social situations. People with social anxiety have an excessive fear of being judged or criticized. This leads them to avoid social interactions altogether, severely impacting their social and work lives. This article will explain whether social anxiety is caused by genetics or environmental factors.
Social Anxiety And Genetics
Multiple research studies have indicated that social anxiety is strongly influenced by genetics. Twin and family studies. have shown that identical twins, who share all their genes are both more likely to have social anxiety as compared to fraternal twins, who share only half of their genes. This clearly illustrates that there is a strong genetic component in the development of social anxiety
Research also suggests that children whose parents have social anxiety are at a greater risk of developing social anxiety as compared to those children whose parents do not show any signs of social anxiety. Another study has found that shyness or social anxiety in children is influenced by the shyness of their biological mother, again validating the involvement of genetics in social anxiety.
Additionally, researchers have also identified a gene called SLC6A4 which is responsible for regulating serotonin levels in the brain, Low serotonin levels can contribute to social anxiety, thus variations in this gene can make someone prone to social anxiety
Thus, even though the exact genes involved in the development of social anxiety are yet to be identified, there is a strong link between social anxiety and genetics.
Environmental Influences In Social Anxiety
Not only genetics, but the environment also plays a crucial role in the onset and development of social anxiety in various ways such as:
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Pre-Birth Maternal Stress
Research suggests that stress experienced by mothers during pregnancy can affect the development of the fetus, increasing the risk of social anxiety. When mothers are stressed during pregnancy, their cortisol levels increase. These elevated levels of cortisol can cross the placenta and reach the fetus. This exposure to cortisol can potentially alter the development of the child’s nervous system, particularly the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), which plays a key role in stress response.
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Traumatic Events
Experiencing traumatic events, especially in childhood, can increase the risk of someone developing social anxiety. Some traumatic experiences linked to social anxiety are
- Bullying in school leads to a negative impact on self-esteem increasing the risk of social anxiety
- Death of a loved one
- Experiencing physical or psychological abuse can lead to internalized feelings of shame, increasing the risk of social anxiety
- Growing up in a household characterized by conflict, or instability can lead to the development of social anxiety. Parental separation can also create feelings of insecurity and fear of abandonment
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Parenting Styles and Attachment
Research suggests that parenting is crucial in the development of social and other anxiety disorders. Research has identified that parental attributes such as overcontrol, low child autonomy or low warmth are associated with social anxiety, Additionally, insecure attachment can lead to social anxiety.
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Gender
Research suggests that gender may have a key role to play in social anxiety, with women being more prone to social anxiety than men. This might be because women seem to be more affected by things like family conflict and abuse, while boys might be more impacted by not having close relationships.
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Other factors
Some research suggests that social anxiety may be a result of observational learning. Children may learn to be anxious in social situations if they see their parents experiencing anxiety. Additionally, culture and society also play key roles in social anxiety.
Conclusion:
Social anxiety is a complex disorder that develops as a result of interactions between genetic and environmental factors. While genetic predispositions can increase vulnerability to the disorder, environmental factors such as pre-birth maternal stress, traumatic events, gender, parenting and attachment styles can play a significant role in triggering social anxiety. Understanding the equally important roles of genetic and environmental factors is crucial to seeking effective treatment.
References:
- Is Social Anxiety Genetic? (n.d.). ChoosingTherapy.Com. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://www.choosingtherapy.com/is-social-anxiety-genetic/
- Social anxiety disorder: A review of environmental risk factors—PMC. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2515922/
- Social anxiety disorder (social phobia)—Symptoms and causes—Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/social-anxiety-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20353561
- Stein, M. B., Chen, C.-Y., Jain, S., Jensen, K. P., He, F., Heeringa, S. G., Kessler, R. C., Maihofer, A., Nock, M. K., Ripke, S., Sun, X., Thomas, M. L., Ursano, R. J., Smoller, J. W., & Gelernter, J. (2017). Genetic Risk Variants for Social Anxiety. American Journal of Medical Genetics. Part B, Neuropsychiatric Genetics : The Official Publication of the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics, 174(2), 120–131. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.b.32520
