RELATION BETWEEN RELIGIOUS/SPIRITUAL COPING AND LEVELS OF SOCIAL ANXIETY IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WITH DISORDER OF SOCIAL ANXIETY

Abstract

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is one of the most limiting anxiety disorders due to avoidance of exposure situations. It is also associated with low academic performance as universities commonly involve activities with intense social contact. The way each student deal with this stressful situation is defined as coping, which can be done through religion/spirituality, called religious/spiritual coping (RSC). RSC is classified as positive (RSCP) or negative (RSCN), with the former being beneficial and the latter being harmful to the individual. Studies show that RSCP is more used than RSCN, but it is unknown whether this is also observed in SAD. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to verify the relationship between the use of RSC and levels of social anxiety in university students with SAD. Seventy-one university students of both genders diagnosed with SAD through the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) were selected. After signing the informed consent form, they answered the General Questionnaire, the Brief RSC Scale, and the SPIN. The data analysis revealed an absence of correlation between the levels of social anxiety and the RSC strategies used in stressful situations in the university environment. Additionally, it was observed that RSCP is more commonly used than RSCN in this sample. These findings are relevant for understanding how university students with SAD cope with stressful situations in the university environment, as well as contributing to the scarce literature on the subject.