Prevalence of Social Anxiety Disorder and Beta-Blocker Usage among Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a common psychiatric condition characterized by excessive fear of social interaction. It significantly impairs academic and occupational functioning, with individuals frequently avoiding social situations or experiencing distress when exposed to them. Despite the burden of mental health disorders in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, studies on SAD among medical students remain scarce. In light of this, the present study aimed to assess the prevalence of SAD among medical students in Zakho and Duhok medical colleges and to examine the extent of beta-blocker usage for symptom relief. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from 10th October 2024 to 1st February 2025, among medical students in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. A total of 769 medical students were included in the final analysis. A validated self-administered survey comprising 28 items, structured into four sections; demographic characteristics, academic details, beta blocker usage and Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) scale, was delivered to students via a pen-and-paper method. Participants’ responses were rated using a five-point Likert scale. Results: The participants’ mean age was 20.61±1.9 SD. Among the participants, 394 (51.8%) were male. The prevalence of SAD was (31.86%), with 148 (19.25%) and 64 (8.32%) of the students reporting mild and moderate forms, respectively. Only 46 (6%) of the students used a beta-blocker and the main reason for their use was to reduce stress and anxiety (60.9%). Older students (OR = 0.662, 95% CI = [0.49-0.90]), those with a negative family history (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = [0.37–0.86]) and clinical stage students (OR = 0.43, 95% CI = [0.30-0.61]) had a lower probability of developing SAD (p-value