Taijin Kyofusho and Social Anxiety and Their Clinical Relevance in Indonesia and Switzerland

Abstract

Background: Taijin Kyofusho Scale (TKS) is an interpersonal fear to offend others and is defined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) as a culturally bound syndrome that occurs in Japan and Korea. Recently, cases with TKS have also been recognized in other cultures. The present questionnaire study investigated self-report TKS symptoms and social anxiety symptoms, and their clinical relevance in an Indonesian and Swiss sample. It also investigated whether self-construal is associated with TKS and social anxiety, and if self-construal is a mediator of the expected association between cultural background and social anxiety and TKS symptoms.Method: 311 Indonesian and 349 Swiss university students filled out the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, the Taijin Kyofusho Scale, the Self-Construal Scale, self-report social phobia DSM-IV criteria, and rated their wish for professional help to deal with social fears.Results: TKS and social anxiety symptoms were higher in the Indonesian than the Swiss sample. TKS symptoms were associated with clinical relevance in Indonesia, whereas in Switzerland only social anxiety symptoms were associated with clinical relevance. Independent self-construal was negatively associated and interdependent self-construal was positively associated with TKS and social anxiety symptoms. Interdependent self-construal mediated the association between cultural background and these symptoms.Discussion: TKS might be a clinically relevant syndrome in all individuals or cultures with an interdependent self-construal or less independent self-construal. The proposal to include the fear of offending others in the DSM-V criteria of social phobia is supported by the present findings.

The Correlation of Self-Construal, Self-Efficacy, and Emotional Regulation Strategy as Cultural Factors with Social Anxiety: Preliminary Study

“…This is because college students are very closely related to performance situations (speaking in front of people, conveying ideas/thoughts, evaluation situations) and situations of social interaction (interacting with new people as well as authoritative figures such as lecturers) which is potentially cause the emergence of social anxiety. From several studies that have been conducted by researchers in previous years (Suryaningrum, 2006(Suryaningrum, , 2016, Hasibuan et al, (2015), and Vriends et al (2013), it showed the same result that social anxiety among Indonesian college students tend to be at high level.…”

“…In addition, Vriends, Pfaltz, Novianti and Hadiyono (2013) studied Swiss and Indonesian college students from a University in Yogyakarta and they found that Indonesian college students experience more social anxiety than Swiss college students with very significant differences.…”

“…The attention of the current researcher is to review social anxieties from cultural factors. From various studies, it is found that social anxiety in collectivist societies is almost always higher than in individualist societies (Essau, Leung, Conradt, Cheng, & Wong, 2008;Heinrichs et al, 2006, Hong & Woody, 2007Hsu et al, 2012;Lee, Okazaki, & Yoo;Pina, Little, Wynne, & Beidel, 2014;Vriends et al, 2013;Woody, Miou, Kellman, & Kellman-McFarlane, 2015). Some experts argue that discussing social anxiety is ultimately inseparable from social and cultural context (Hofmann, Asnaani, & Hinton, 2010;Vriends et al, 2013;Woody et al, 2015;Zhu et al, 2014).…”

“…Conversely, independent self-construal is negatively correlated with social anxiety (Levinson et al, 2011;Ho & Lau, 2011;Hong & Woody;Moscovith et al, 2005;Norasakkunkit et al, 2012;Park et al, 2011;Vriends et al, 2013). In Indonesia, studies of self-construal with social anxiety are limited.…”

Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavior Therapy Counseling Group Setting in Overcoming Student’s Social Anxiety

“…The results of research Vriends, Pfaltz, Novianti, &Hadiyono (2013) associated with social anxiety conducted in Indonesia in 2013 obtained data as much as 15.8% of individuals who experience social anxiety. Miers, Blote, Rooij, &Bookhorst (2013) there is an increase of approximately 9.6% of early social anxiety symptoms of adolescence at age 10.…”