Employment Barriers, Skills, and Aspirations Among Unemployed Job Seekers With and Without Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder is characterized by fear of “social or performance situations involving exposure to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny.” Fearing embarrassment or humiliation, individuals with social anxiety disorder may avoid exposure to new people or situations. Examining measures of social anxiety disorders and employment barriers among urban vocational rehabilitation participants, researchers found that these individuals had higher rates of self-reported barriers to employment, including lacking interview skills, training, work experience, and education. They were also more likely to say they lacked skills associated with employment in the hospitality, service, and health care environments and thus expressed less interest in those jobs. Researchers note that access to mental health services could help job seekers with social anxiety disorder overcome their fears and consider jobs they might not otherwise.