Anxiety in social situations presumably is found in every culture. However, there may be differences across cultures in the specific ways that this anxiety manifests itself and is subjectively experienced by the sufferer. Taijin kyofusho is a broad term for various socially directed fears. Manifestations range from classic social anxiety disorder symptoms to those found in body dysmporphic disorder, delusional disorder, and olfactory reference syndrome. Though originally thought to be a culturally bound variation of social anxiety found only in East Asian populations, a growing body of evidence also locates it in the West. In contrast to egocentric fears found in social anxiety disorder (e.g., “I will embarrass myself”), prototypical taijin kyofusho symptoms are more other directed (e.g., “I will offend others or make them uncomfortable”). Assessment and treatment options are summarized.
Taijin kyofusho: a form of social anxiety disorder that responds to serotonin reuptake inhibitors?