Social anxiety disorder in the Canadian population: Exploring gender differences in sociodemographic profile

•Canadians with social anxiety disorder experience significant impairment.•There are many significant gender differences in sociodemographics.•We examined marital, employment, and life satisfaction variables.•Socially anxious females may experience more life disruption than males.

The present study examined the prevalence and sociodemographic profile of Canadians with social anxiety disorder using data from the Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 1.2 (N = 36,984). Social anxiety disorder was assessed using the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview and sociodemographic variables were explored by gender. Results suggested significant gender differences for prevalence, comorbid depression, marital status, living arrangements, employment status in the past 12 months, and self-reported mental health status. These observations suggest that individuals with social anxiety disorder experience life disruption, and that of all socially anxious respondents, females may be experiencing more distress than males