The costs of social anxiety disorder: The role of symptom severity and comorbidities

Abstract Background Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is associated with low direct costs compared to other anxiety disorders while indirect costs tend to be high. Mental comorbidities have been identified to increase costs, but the role of symptom severity is still vague. The objective of this study was to determine the costs of SAD, and to explore the impact of symptoms and comorbidities on direct and indirect costs. Methods Baseline data, collected within the SOPHO-NET multi-centre treatment study ( N =495), were used. Costs were calculated based on health care utilization and lost productivity. Symptom severity was measured with the Liebowitz-Social-Anxiety-Scale; comorbidities were include…