The Mediating Role of Social Phobia Between Perfectionism and Low Life Satisfaction Among Young Women

Individuals with social phobia report lower quality of life, poorer social functioning and lower achievement. Young women are more likely to experience anxiety than other demographic groups. Using bidirectional associations and a path model, this study examined the interrelationship between social phobia and trait anxiety, perfectionism and self-efficacy, and the role these variables play in the life satisfaction of 394 females aged between 18 and 35. Correlational analysis revealed that women with higher levels of trait anxiety, social phobia and perfectionism and lower levels of perceived self-efficacy were less satisfied with their life. Greater satisfaction with life was achieved by those who had higher self-efficacy, lower trait anxiety, less perfectionism and fewer social fears. In the final path model, the mediated effect of perfectionism, social phobia and satisfaction with life was significant. Social phobia fully mediated the link between perfectionism and low life satisfaction. These results suggest that perfectionism indirectly affects satisfaction with life through its contribution to the experience of social phobia. Overall, these results support the role of social phobia in young women’s lower satisfaction with life. In addition, perfectionism – indirectly, through developing social phobia – may also contribute to lower levels of life satisfaction, while self-efficacy does not mediate these interrelationships.