Post-COVID-19: The Effect of Social Anxiety on the Continued Wearing of Face Masks in Saudi Arabia
Individuals experiencing social anxiety may wear face masks as a safety behavior, which could potentially lead to prolonged adherence, even after the conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this research, an online questionnaire was distributed to a convenience sample of 370 xxxx citizens. The questionnaire comprised the three-dimensional Social Anxiety Scale (cognitive, social, and physical) to assess levels of social anxiety, as well as an open-ended question to gauge the inclination to continue wearing masks post-pandemic. No statistically significant associations were found between social anxiety and mask-wearing on cognitive or social dimensions or on the scale overall. However, statistically significant relationships were observed on the physical dimension, suggesting that individuals with social anxiety may be more inclined to utilize masks as a safety behavior to address concerns related to their physical appearance. No gender differences were found in the rates of social anxiety, but higher rates were observed among older adults with higher levels of educational attainment.
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Individuals experiencing social anxiety may wear face masks as a safety behavior, which could potentially lead to prolonged adherence, even after the conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this…