Multiple group memberships protect against anticipatory anxiety for social situations

Abstract

For people with social anxiety, ongoing exposure to feared situations is crucial for both treatment and the prevention of relapse. The COVID-19 pandemic—with prolonged, often enforced, reductions in people's social contact—reduced such exposure and may thus have exacerbated social anxiety symptoms. In this three-wave longitudinal study (N = 212) we explored whether people's membership in multiple groups could protect against anticipatory anxiety for, and avoidance of, social situations. In line with our predictions, pre-pandemic multiple group memberships reduced anticipatory anxiety and avoidance at Waves 1 and 2 (June and August 2020). Controlling for participants' pre-pandemic multiple group memberships, maintained group memberships (from pre-pandemic to Wave 2) predicted lower Wave 2 anticipatory anxiety and avoidance, and lower Wave 2 anticipatory anxiety predicted reduced social anxiety symptoms at Wave 3. These findings are discussed with an emphasis on how social identity theorising and cognitive behavioural approaches to social anxiety can be successfully integrated.