Fobia social em estudantes de medicina submetidos ao método de ensinoaprendizagem baseada em problemas no estado de Sergipe

Objective: To identify the prevalence of social phobia and the social situations that trigger it and cooccur with symptoms of anxiety, fear, or avoidance in medical students subjected to the problem-based learning (PBL) teaching methodology in the state of Sergipe. Methods: This article is part of a non-experimental, exploratory, cross-sectional, descriptive and quantitative analytical study. We obtained a sample of 323 students, representative of all medical students in the state of Sergipe attending teaching institutions that adopt the PBL method. Students were evaluated using a specific questionnaire and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale. Results: Social phobia was detected in 30.7% of the students, with a higher prevalence of moderate severity. With regard to the epidemiological profile, female sex, being unmarried and being 18-25 years old were the characteristics associated with the highest prevalence results. The social situations most commonly feared (fear or anxiety) were expressing disagreement with or disapproval of someone and talking to someone they donot know. The social situati ons most frequently avoided were expressing disagreement or disapproval, talking to unknown people and being the center of att enti on. Conclusion: Social phobia showed a high prevalence in this sample of undergraduate medical students subjected to the PBL methodology in Sergipe; the moderate severity observed should be highlighted. With this study we intend to shed light on the topic and encourage new studies to be undertaken.