Positive impact of digital reading on social anxiety disorders among college students

Abstract

Background

Social anxiety disorder is a mental illness that often occurs in adolescents or early adulthood. When engaging in social interactions, students may feel shy, embarrassed, and uneasy, and thus unwilling to socialize in public. All leads to a gradual decline in their social functions. Many factors including growth environment, genetic factors, levels of neurotransmitters and hormones, as well as certain psychological shocks contribute to social anxiety disorders. In order to explore more treatment and intervention methods for social anxiety disorder, the impact mechanism and effectiveness of digital reading promotion activities in university libraries on college students’ social anxiety disorder were analyzed.

Subjects and Methods

120 college students with social anxiety disorder in a certain university were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group participated in digital reading promotion activities in the university library. Before and after treatment, the patients were evaluated using Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90), Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA).

Results

After participating in reading promotion activities, the scores of the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, Social Anxiety Scale, and Symptom Checklist in the experimental group were lower than those before participation (P<0.05), and the difference was statistically significant.

Conclusions

Digital reading promotion activities have a positive impact on social anxiety disorders among college students. Small-scale reading activities can encourage students to go out and socialize, help students establish confidence, help them change their irrational cognition, and overcome psychological fears.

Acknowledgement

2016 Tianjin education planning project (No. vesp3003).