Global prevalence and associated factors of social anxiety disorder among medical students: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review of 34 studies covering 25,914 medical students across 18 countries found that social anxiety disorder affects approximately 46% of medical students globally, though prevalence varies significantly by assessment tool used and publication year. The analysis identified high heterogeneity in outcomes and examined demographic and contextual factors associated with social anxiety in this high-pressure academic population.