THE INFLUENCE OF AGE AND CLASS ON SOCIAL ANXIETY AMONG INSTITUTIONALIZED ADOLESCENTS IN LAGOS, NIGERIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT  

Social anxiety is a prevalent mental health condition common among adolescents who worry about being negatively scrutinized in social situations, exacerbating a more devastating influence on institutionalized adolescents who grapple to balance social acceptance, childhood trauma and relational adaptation. This study examined the influence of age and class levels on social anxiety among institutionalized adolescents in Lagos, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Data was collected with a 17-item Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), Cronbach's alpha reliability of 0.82, from a total of 275 adolescents (162 males and 113 females) in 5 LGAs selected via a 2-Cluster Stage and simple random sampling method. Data analysis was performed using mean and standard deviation, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), post hoc, Tukey, and Two-Way ANOVA. Results: The findings revealed that age significantly affected social anxiety, F (3,271) = 2.72, p <.05, but only age 17-18 years; class level significantly influenced social anxiety,  (F = 3.95) p<0.01such that adolescents in higher class level reported less social anxiety than those in lower classes, and age does not depend on class to influence social anxiety F(6, 262) = .49, p = .81, η² = .01. Conclusion: Institutionalized adolescents’ age and class level have strong association with social anxiety, but reduced in progression. The results underscore that developmental maturity and academic progression serve as protective factors against social anxiety in institutionalized setting, which has implications for intervention and policy. It is also recommended that caregivers pay greater attention to the younger ones who are new in the settings and in lower classes.

Keywords: Social Anxiety, Institutionalized centers, Adolescent, Class level, Age