Social Anxiety and Emotional Dysregulation Among Pakistani Adolescents: A Demographic Analysis

Abstract

Adolescence is an important development period that is characterized by emotional and social transitions, which increase the risk of developing mental problems. This current research investigated the association between social anxiety and emotional dysregulation amongst adolescents in Pakistan and the influence of demographic factors on both constructs. This research utilized a quantitative cross-sectional design, where data were gathered through convenient sampling from 300 adolescents aged 13-19 years studying in schools and colleges in Islamabad. After consent from participants data collection was done using the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents (LSAS-CA) (Masia-Warner et al., 2003) and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-16) (Bjureberg et al., 2016). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation, independent samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA. The findings revealed a statistically significant positive association between social anxiety and emotional dysregulation. Females, older adolescents, and adolescents with a low socioeconomic status scored high on the two variables. Parental educational status and parental marital status influenced significantly both variables, while no significant differences occurred due to type of educational institute or family structure. This study provides significant and relevant evidence regarding influence of demographic factors on these variables.