Who is affected?

According to the Canadian Community Health Survey – Mental health and well-being conducted by Statistics Canada in 2002 4.7% of Canadians aged 15 and over  reported symptoms that corresponded to criteria of one of the following anxiety disorders in the previous 12 months: 1.6% panic disorder, 0.7% agoraphobia, 3% social anxiety disorder. More than one adult in ten (11.5%) reported symptoms that corresponded to the following anxiety disorders in their lifetime: panic disorders (3.7%) agoraphobia (1.5%), social anxiety disorder (8.1%). According to the federal government report, The Human Face of Mental Health and Mental Illness in Canada 2006, 6.2% to 8% of people between the ages of 15 and 64 had a specific phobia, and 6.7% had suffered from a social phobia. Proportionately more young women (age 15 to 24) than young men had symptoms that corresponded to social phobia criteria. That proportion reduces with age among women. Almost one Canadian in ten aged 65 reported symptoms that corresponded to social phobia criteria in their lifetime. The lifetime prevalence fell markedly for the group aged 65 and over. Women (1.0%) were twice as likely as men (0.4%) to report symptoms that corresponded to agoraphobia criteria. However, the sample was too small to allow an evaluation of prevalence according to age.