Family and friendship informal support networks and social anxiety disorder among African Americans and Black Caribbeans

This study explores relationships between Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) and quality and frequency of involvement with family and friends. Data are from a nationally representative sample of African American and Black Caribbean adults (n = 5191), the National Survey of American Life. SAD was assessed using the DSM-IV World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Findings indicated that among both populations, close supportive ties with family members and friends are protective against meeting criteria for SAD. Negative interactions with family (e.g., conflicts), however, are a risk factor for SAD among both African Americans and Black Caribbeans. For African Americans, an interaction indicates that the relationship between negative interaction and social anxiety is much stronger among African Americans who are not emotionally close to their families. For Caribbean Blacks, an interaction suggests that the odds of meeting criteria for SAD were higher among Black Caribbeans who had high negative interaction with family as well as low levels of friendship closeness. The cross-sectional nature of the study does not allow for causal attributions for findings. This study demonstrates that SAD may impact black ethnic subgroups differently, which has important implications for understanding the nature, etiology, and treatment of this disorder.