MENTAL INSTABILITY: Consequences Of Social Anxiety On The Lifestyle

Of  Young Individuals That Live In Capas, Tarlac.

Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

This chapter of the study will show what problem is being stated, why it needs to be solved, and
why the researchers conducted this study. Furthermore, this chapter will elaborate and explain
furtherly the topic of this study which is social anxiety for the readers to have an idea about our
chosen topic. Moreover, this chapter will contain the importance of this study and the objectives
that the researchers have set.

Introduction

Mental instability, or being mentally unstable, is a form of mental health condition in the sense of
the malfunctioning of an individual's mental state. While not an official diagnosis, "mental
instability" is a broad term that people use to describe a variety of mental health conditions. It
should be noted that the terms "mental instability" and "mentally unstable" have negative and
stigmatizing connotations for certain people, such as young people. (A. Cuncic, 2022). And one
of the common issues in the community currently is mental health. Especially for young
individuals of the society who suffers from the consequences of social anxiety which affected
how they live their life. Furthermore, these consequences can be seen in schools, malls,
restaurants, and mainly in public places, particularly when they are trying to interact and
socialize with other people. And by that, the young individuals struggle to live their life to the
fullest because of their insecurities that affected their perception of their physical appearances. 

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-does-the-term-mentally-unstable-mean-5224975

One of the causes of mental instability is social anxiety. Social anxiety is a common human
condition characterized by a strong fear of being judged. When it reaches a peak of severity that
impairs functioning, we refer to it as a social anxiety disorder (SAD) or social phobia. (Morrison
and Heimberg, 2013). Additionally, social anxiety is a long-term and overwhelming fear of
certain social situations. It can cause an individual to go to great lengths to avoid them,
potentially disrupting a person’s life in the manner of making a person pessimistic, or, in other
words, making an individual often think negatively about life events, especially in socializing with
other people. People who have social anxiety are afraid of certain aspects of social life, such as
talking in large crowds or even being in public, mainly engaging in a conversation with someone
that they are not that familiar with. 

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amanda-Morrison-10/publication/
236088923_Social_Anxiety_and_Social_Anxiety_Disorder/links/56f2d3b508ae81582beba4d3/
Social-Anxiety-and-Social-Anxiety-Disorder.pdf

One of the most prevalent anxiety disorders worldwide is social anxiety. It is a fear of being
disregarded or scrutinized, particularly by others in public as it causes a person to feel
extremely embarrassed. Hence, people who have social anxiety frequently experience extreme
self-consciousness, distress, and a fear of being judged in normal social interactions. And as a
result, people experience intense anxiety about upcoming social situations. (Polaris Teen
Center, 2019)

https://polaristeen.com/articles/social-anxiety-in-teens/

Social anxiety develops when a person is highly concerned with being judged, rejected,
appraised, or embarrassed by others in social situations. This simply means that, because of
the feeling of having anxiety in social matters, a person is afraid of not having a good image to
be accepted by the public. As a result, for a small percentage of the population, social anxiety is
frequent and severe enough to prevent them from engaging in worthwhile activities such as
relationships, academics, career goals, and basically communicating. Another simple
explanation is that because a person has social anxiety, it makes them less likely to participate
in such activities because they simply are not fond of attention, especially the attention of
strangers. In addition, when a person's level of fear is extreme, social encounters are dreaded
or avoided, social cues and emotions are difficult to comprehend, and pleasant thoughts and
feelings are infrequent, social anxiety or social phobia is present (NHS, 2020).
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/social-anxiety/?fbclid=IwAR3hpuW-
vGCYTaLW0p1my7HKzm7ioRkh8qzPcBosRjpxXUPymuIrD9NSBo0

Social anxiety can be classified as a disorder, especially when it’s at its peak of severity. An
intense fear of being scrutinized by others in social situations is a hallmark of social anxiety
disorder. Social anxiety disorder is a spectrum disorder that encompasses a variety of feared
social situations. There is a distinct subtype of the disorder that applies to people with
performance-related fears. The characteristics of people with this subtype appear to be
qualitatively different from those of other people with social anxiety disorder. (Dr. Leichsenring
and C. Solomon, 2017). To summarize this, social anxiety is the fear that people with social
anxiety disorder have in social situations that is so intense that they feel it is beyond their
control. They worry about acting or appearing anxious or being viewed as stupid, awkward, or
boring.

https://www.nejm.org//full/10.1056/NEJMcp1614701

This study aims to investigate how social anxiety affects a young person's lifestyle in particular.
And the experiences that changed the way they viewed the world from their own point of view.
Also, the impact of social anxiety on their day-to-day lives that particularly affects on how they
behave around with other people. The main events and effects that the young people went
through in living with social anxiety.

The researchers chose to conduct this study because they believed that it was an issue that
needed to be resolved and supported, especially since the target population of this study is
young individuals. Hence, the researchers are also young individuals, and that is why they
conducted this study in order to support people of their own age in overcoming social anxiety.

Research Objectives

 To be aware of the consequences of the social anxiety that young people have
experienced and continue to experience.
 To ascertain the consequences of social anxiety on a young individual's way of living.
 To provide support and ways of treatment for individuals with difficulties in social anxiety.

Scope and Delimitation

This study will focus only on the mental instability of young individuals age range is 13 to 17
years old that live in Capas, Tarlac, and concerning the consequences of social anxiety on their
lifestyle. The researchers will be using a narrative method wherein the researchers will make
use of interviews and gather data through the collection of their stories. This study will be
conducted in the year 2022–2023. The collected data to be used will be from face-to-face
interviews, the experiences of the respondents, credible sources of information on the internet,
and other related reading materials of the study regarding the topic. This also includes the
related literature and studies of other researchers and individuals to fully support and back up
the evidence in creating this study. 

Significance Of The Study

The Department of Health (DOH). The DOH has a program that concerns the mental health of
individuals, especially those who suffer from mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS)
disorders. For example, social anxiety disorder, as I said in the first part of this study, social
anxiety can be classified as a disorder also. Moreover, this study will provide additional
knowledge to the DOH and especially the experiences and perspectives of young individuals.
With that, the program could provide helpful and concrete support to understand young
individuals' difficulties.

Psychologists. Psychologists will gain additional information because this study will be focused
mainly on the experiences of the individuals. In addition, psychologists could use this study to
get ideas on how to better comprehend and understand young individuals that have dealt with
or are currently experiencing social anxiety and help them cope with their struggles.

The Public. The public will be informed that people with social anxiety severely affect the lives
of young individuals in society, and it's a fear that does not go away and affects everyday
activities such as interacting with other individuals or simply being in a public area. With this, the
public will know more about the experiences and, specifically, the perspectives of these young
individuals, and the public will be eager to help these individuals who experience social anxiety. 

Young individuals. The target population of this research is young individuals who have
experienced or are currently experiencing social anxiety and its consequences. And by that, this
study will provide advice and ways for these young individuals to overcome their social anxiety
and improve their self-esteem so that they could live like how a normal person does.

Future Researchers. This study will serve as a help or a guide for future researchers when
they are starting to conduct their research, especially when it is relevant to the implications of
social anxiety on the communicative behaviors of the youth that live in Capas, Tarlac.
Definition of terms

Mental Instability - health condition involving changes in emotion, thinking, or behavior. It can
also be classified as sudden mood changes, extreme anxiety or paranoia, delusions or
hallucinations, exhibiting aggressive or violent behavior, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts.

Pessimistic - A person who tends to see the worst aspects of things or believes that the worst
will happen. Pessimism is a negative mental attitude in which an undesirable outcome is
anticipated from a given situation. Pessimists tend to focus on the negatives of life in genera

Social Anxiety - This is a long-term and overwhelming fear of social situations. It's a common
problem that usually starts during the teenage years. It can be very distressing and have a big
impact on your life. For some people, it gets better as they get older.

Scrutinize - to examine something very carefully in order to discover information. The word
stems from the Latin verb scrutari (meaning "to search" or "to examine"), which in turn probably
comes from scruta (meaning "trash," or more specifically "a mixture of worthwhile articles and
trash"). In the 15th century, scrutari gave us the noun scrutiny, a word that originally meant "a
formal vote" and then "an official examination of votes."

Perspective - Perspective has a Latin root meaning "look through" or "perceive," and all the
meanings of perspective have something to do with looking. If you observe the world from a
dog's perspective, you see through the dog's eyes. In drawing, perspective gives your drawing
the appearance of depth or distance. If we say someone "has perspective," we mean she has a
sensible outlook on life.
 Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature

Introductory statement

The focus of this literature review is on the consequences of social anxiety for young individuals,

aged 13 to 17 years old, living in Capas, Tarlac. The research question is, "What are the

consequences that young individuals encounter living with social anxiety?" To answer this

question, we will examine, with the use of literature, the consequences of living with social

anxiety and treatment options for social anxiety.

A social anxiety disorder is characterized by a persistent fear of one or more social situations

that may result in embarrassment, and the fear or anxiety is out of proportion to the real threat

posed by the social situation. Interaction, observation, and performance are three types of

common social instances. These include interacting with new people, such as strangers, trying

to strike up a conversation, and having conversations in groups (The British Psychological

Society and The Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2013). In addition, social anxiety is a fear of

being evaluated, examined, or scrutinized in social events like parties and social gatherings, or

even just being in public, delivering a speech in front of a crowd, or when an individual attempts

to socialize.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK327674/

Youth with social anxiety are more sensitive to perceived physiological arousal than their peers,

who are not affected. Pre-adolescents with significant levels of social anxiety considered

themselves more autonomically aroused during public speaking situations, according to one

study by Schmitz and colleagues (2012). In line with this, those with high social anxiety worried
more after receiving feedback on autonomic arousal signs, whereas children with low social

anxiety did not. Youth with social anxiety are more likely to overestimate physiological arousal

and exhibit hypersensitivity to others' perceptions regarding arousal. For example, 13 to 17-

year-old young individuals with high social anxiety rated themselves as having higher negative

affect, lower positive affect, and higher physiological hyperarousal than youth with low social

anxiety (Detweiler et al., 2019).

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123944276000108

Social evaluation and scrutiny by others are core features of social anxiety disorder. Social

anxiety disorder has been central to theorizing perfectionism as well. Developments in the

conceptualization and measurement of perfectionism make it possible to gain a much clearer

picture of its role in various forms of psychopathology, including SAD  (Frost et al., 2010).

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123750969000055

Focusing on a genetic basis for social anxiety disorder (SAD) makes sense for a number of

reasons. The first and most important factor is that SAD runs in families and is firmly thought to

have a genetic basis. In other words, the tendency for SAD to run in families is caused, at least

in part, by genes (Stein and Gelernter, 2010).

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123750969000110

Prevention and early intervention programs provide an opportunity to reduce the incidence and

thus the burden of social anxiety on individuals and society. Individuals suffering from social

anxiety frequently suffer in silence, unwilling or unable to seek treatment for their problems. One

of the most common psychiatric diagnoses is social anxiety disorder (Barret and Cooper, 2019).

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978012394427600011X
Unpleasant emotional states and maladaptive behaviors in social situations can be serious, life-

altering issues for many people. Because of the social nature of humans, the discomfort associated

with interacting with others is especially difficult (McNeil and Randall, 2014).

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123944276000017?via%3Dihub

Due to the fact that medical professionals frequently fail to recognize social anxiety that is

clinically significant, the majority of people with social anxiety do not seek treatment unless they

also have a comorbid diagnosis. Because it is difficult for them to express their feelings, people

would rather feel anxious than ask for help. Due to this, social anxiety may occasionally go

undiagnosed or receive a diagnosis (Hope et al., 2010).

https://books.google.com.ph/books?

hl=en&lr=&id=V8Vys6o0ySoC&oi=fnd&pg=PR13&dq=social+anxiety+disorder+

%22cognitive+behavioral+therapy%22&ots=HLj-

Cp4b3E&sig=qqkMvqlUiODK8DTOArBJvRrMvus&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=social

%20anxiety%20disorder%20%22cognitive%20behavioral%20therapy%22&f=false

The symptoms of social anxiety disorder are abnormal socio-emotional information processing

and affect regulation in the context of social evaluation, threat, and self-referential processing.

Several neurobiological systems are likely to be involved in the pathophysiology of the disorder,

including the stress response system, as demonstrated by psychoneuroendocrinology studies,

and cognitive-affective systems, as revealed by brain function studies (K. Luan Phan and H.

Klumpp, 2014).

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123944276000121
A meta-analysis of SAD treatment suggested that both cognitive and behavioral therapy treatments

were effective for SAD. Some researchers suggest that exposure appears to be the most powerful

mechanism for producing ameliorative change (Henderson and Zimbardo, 2010).

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123750969000031?via%3Dihub

Cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) is hypothesized to improve cognitive reappraisal in people

with social anxiety disorder (SAD). Such enhancements should be visible in prefrontal brain

responses associated with cognitive reappraisal (Goldin et al., 2022). Hence, "reappraisal" is an

emotion control method that involves reframing the meaning of an emotional input in order to

change its impact. Neuroimaging studies of reappraisal in healthy controls demonstrate

increased activation in brain areas associated with cognitive control (DLPFC, DMPFC, and

VLPFC) and attention, as well as reductions in emotion-processing brain regions, notably the

amygdala (Goldin et al., 2022).

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/1727438

Hope and Heimberg's individual cognitive behavioral therapy (I-CBT) for SAD has been found to

be an effective treatment for the disorder. Regional cerebral blood flow reductions in the

amygdala during public speaking were connected with clinical improvement 1 year later,

according to research. Pretreatment enhanced the amplitude, timing, and functional connectivity

of BOLD signals in PFC areas involved in the reappraisal of NSBs contained in autobiographical

social anxiety situations (Goldin et al., 2022).

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/1727438

Synthesis of the Literature

anxiety, and the many types of treatment options available for those with this disorder. Social

anxiety is a universal phenomenon that only a certain percentage of people in the population

experience. When the level of anxiety, avoidance, and impairment in functioning reaches clinical

proportions, social anxiety disorder (SAD) is diagnosed. In line with this, an individual who

experiences social anxiety encounters extreme difficulties when they are trying to live their lifestyle

in a normal way. Also, it says that it can become a disorder when the symptoms and clinical

proportions become severe. The main point in the literature provided for the implications of social

anxiety is that young individuals with social anxiety are more sensitive to perceived physiological

arousal than their unaffected peers. On the other hand, treatments for shyness, social anxiety, and

SAD generally include cognitive restructuring, social skills training, and role-plays of threatening

situations. Moreover, social anxiety affects the life of a young individual in different aspects. In

addition, young people may be embarrassed or fear looking foolish, which can interfere with simple

daily activities like making friends or attending school. The disorder goes beyond simple shyness,

which a young person usually gets over after a few minutes. Extreme shyness brought on by the

disorder makes the young person uncomfortable around others and makes it challenging for them to

maintain social connections. When contemplating social situations, the person might become

anxious and worry for hours.

Review of Related Studies

Foreign Studies

A person with a social anxiety disorder may avoid any situation where they anticipate feeling

anxious or afraid. Social anxiety can interfere with people's lives, lower self-esteem, and reduce

productivity at work. Also, for young individuals, it can affect their performance in school.

Additionally, young people with social anxiety tend to avoid situations that could put them in a
difficult situation that could potentially harm them physically and mentally (Anxiety and

Depression Association of America, 2021).

https://adaa.org/sites/default/files/SocialAnxietyDisorder-brochure.pdf

An intense fear develops from extreme shyness and self-consciousness. A person with social

anxiety experiences severe shyness that affects their daily activities. They might completely

detest social situations rather than relish them. A person consequently feels awkward taking

part in daily social situations. In addition, when someone has social anxiety, their thoughts and

fears about what other people will think are heightened. Instead of concentrating on the positive

aspects, the person starts to think about the embarrassing things that could occur. This causes

a situation to appear much worse than it actually is, which makes someone want to avoid it.

(Shirin Hasan, MD, n.d)

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/social-phobia.html

Based on early experiences, individuals develop a range of negative assumptions that relate to

themselves and their social world. They worry excessively before, during, and after experiencing

these situations because of the fear or worry that they might say or do something embarrassing

or humiliating, for instance, by looking anxious, disrupting normal life, looking incompetent,

shaking, sweating, and blushing. (Burke and Ruppel, 2015). 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S245195882100018X

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be used to effectively treat this problem. Cognitive

behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of talk therapy that can help you manage your problems by

altering your thinking and behavior with a therapist. It is a therapy that assists you in identifying
and changing negative thought patterns and behaviors. This can be done alone with a therapist,

in a group, or with your parents or caregivers. (NHS, 2020)

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/social-anxiety/?fbclid=IwAR3hpuW-

vGCYTaLW0p1my7HKzm7ioRkh8qzPcBosRjpxXUPymuIrD9NSBo0

Local Studies

This disorder involves a persistent, intense, and chronic fear of being judged by others and of

being embarrassed or humiliated by one's own actions. These fears can be triggered by

perceived or actual scrutiny from others. The fear exceeds normal "shyness,” as it leads to

excessive social avoidance and substantial social or occupational impairment (Reyes, 2014).

https://ejournals.ph/article.php?

id=2671&fbclid=IwAR053CYweh5A9CZCTkfKmXzSp7Znf2EQgj0VvS8mLkziMznd_E-

5y6pSzVw

One of the major negative effects of social anxiety on academic achievement is dropout among

students, especially young individuals (Del Villar, 2010). As a result, it is difficult for them to go

to school due to the serious feelings they are dealing with, such as embarrassment, significant

feelings of fear, and anxiety in a classroom.

https://academicjournals.org/article/article1380099956_Del%20Villar.pdf?

fbclid=IwAR2y6Ea43ARZ6KTE0_oeqW917488VTd9sJdpZNt6U9ZY-qJvSTOcPo4v9zM

Synthesis of The Study

Based on the studies that have been stated above, a person with social anxiety experiences a

great fear of being examined, rejected, or scrutinized by other people, and this causes such
consequences to the individual's life, especially for young individuals that are dropping out of

school because of the impact of social anxiety on academic achievement. A person

consequently feels awkward taking part in daily social situations. In addition, when someone

has social anxiety, their thoughts and fears about what other people will think are heightened.

Instead of concentrating on the positive aspects, the person starts to think about the

embarrassing things that could occur. Moreover, social anxiety affects the way an individual

behaves at social events because of the fear of being judged, and they often feel embarrassed

and exhibit extreme shyness. On the other hand, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of

the best ways to treat, or rather, help, young individuals cope with their social anxiety so they

will have a better life and live as normal individuals. Hence, it is a therapy that assists you in

identifying and changing negative thought patterns and behaviors. 

Research Design

A narrative inquiry study's major aim is to have participants share their life experiences with the
researcher through detailed, in-depth stories (Applied Doctoral Center, 2012). In line with this,
the narrative research design is a qualitative research methodology that analyzes the stories
and perspectives of individuals, and its aim is to understand people, cultures, and societies. In
addition, the knowledge that is gained from the narrative stories of individuals will be arranged
and constructed neatly in an organized way. (Wolgemuth and Agosto, 2019). Furthermore, the
researchers decided to use a narrative research design in this study because based on the title
of the study, the researchers tend to know the consequences of social anxiety that young
individuals experience and how it affects their lifestyle. Additionally, the researchers chose a
narrative research design because it will provide concrete evidence and additional information in
writing this study. Moreover, the researcher chose the narrative research design because it is
the fitted qualitative research design for the said study.
file:///C:/Users/leona/Downloads/9781405165518.wbeos1244.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333336986_Narrative_Research

Participants and Locale

The target population of the researchers is young individuals who encounter the consequences
of social anxiety, whether they are diagnosed or undiagnosed, as long as they are qualified to
be the researchers’ respondents. The target location of the researchers is around Capas,
Tarlac. In addition, this study will need 5 participants. The research participants should meet
certain requirements that the study demands of them to be qualified as participants in this study.
The requirements are:
1. Young individuals that experience social anxiety and have faced its consequences.
2. Participants must live around Capas, Tarlac.
3. The young individuals' age range is from 13 to 17 years old.
4. The participants can be male or female

Research Instrument

The researchers will use face-to-face interviews as a medium for gathering the young
individuals' experiences with the consequences of social anxiety. To be specific, narrative
interviewing. In line with this, in-depth narrative interviews put the subjects of the study at the
center. They serve as a method for gathering individuals' personal accounts of their experiences
with health and illness. Researchers can gain a better understanding of people's experiences
and behaviors by using narrative interviews. Researchers using narrative interview techniques
do not set out with a fixed agenda, but rather tend to let the interviewee control the direction,
content, and pace of the interview. (Anderson and Kirkpatrick, 2016)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26613739/

Data gathering and procedure

The researchers will use a narrative research design. And by that, the researcher will gather
data through the collection of the stories of the young individuals. The researchers will be
guided by the following guidelines in conducting the interview: In order to conduct the study
through narrative interviews with the chosen respondents, the researchers will prepare a formal
letter, which will be duly noted by their research adviser. They will then ask the Principal of the
DCT Senior High School Department for permission. A suitable environment will also be picked
for the interview's conduct. The interviewee will be given a thorough explanation of the
interview's objectives and be given assurances regarding the confidentiality of their answers.
Additionally, the interview's nature, goal, and expectations, as well as its format and time frame,
will be explained. The interview will be done in an informed manner, a conversational type with
the guide questions as a basis so as to allow the degree of freedom and adaptability in getting
the information from the interviewee. Questions will be asked one at a time giving some time for
the interviewee to think and answer the questions. All the conversations or the interview process
will be written down for coding purposes, ensuring proper data will be recorded relative to the
interview. After the data is gathered, the researchers will provide advice to young individuals
regarding their social anxiety.

Ethical Considerations

For the benefit of humanity, especially the respondents' data and private matters, the
researchers will make sure that this study is secure and reliable. No personally identifiable
information will be gathered because one of the study's specific objectives is to maintain the
respondents' anonymity and confidentiality. In addition, the respondents' rights will be respected
by the researchers, who will allow them to join or leave the study whenever they want.
Accordingly, the respondents are free to end the interview at any time while it is still being
conducted. Moreover, physical, social, and psychological harm are kept to an absolute
minimum, especially in this study because it focuses on the social anxiety of young individuals. 

The researchers will be held accountable for any misconduct and will be responsible for all
issues affecting the respondents. However, the researchers will ensure that everything taking
place during the course of this study is safe, and they will stop anything that might endanger the
respondents. Moreover, the researchers will maintain the honesty and integrity of all the data
that will be gathered and reported.